Blue Creek Lodge
by slaves4hemo
Summary: Santana Lopez isn't exactly thrilled to be spending her winter break alone with her Dad in a ski lodge without internet or cell phone reception. The sight of a certain blonde might change her mind, but is she already taken? Santana will have to pull out all the tricks to get her girl. *Brittana winter fic*
1. Chapter 1

Santana Lopez has always hated Christmas. Ever since her seemingly in love parents crushed her world on the eve of her fifth Christmas, the Latina has basically been the grinch. The divorce hit her like it would any five year old, and she forever resented the holiday season. Everyone was so fucking happy while she was so damn miserable. The obnoxious lights, the overly merry songs, the cheesy, sentimental gifts- all of it was such bullshit. Well, okay, maybe some of the lights are kind of pretty, and maybe she catches herself singing "Happy Christmas (War is Over)" in the shower and tearing up at the sound of "Christmas Shoes," and maybe even sometimes the gifts are exactly what she wanted, but something has always been missing for her. Something big. And she had no doubt this year would be any different.

She's already starting out the holy month pissed off. She's being forced to spend her first real college break over a thousand miles away from her friends, old and new, in a freezing cold "resort" without internet and cell reception. Well, technically no one's forcing her since she's a legal adult. Whether she'd admit it or not, she'd hate to leave her Dad alone over the holidays. He never remarried like her mother- something Santana never understood. Her father is a sweet, attractive, older man. She's always thought maybe he was still too in love with her Mother to remarry. Although they remained friends, they both claimed they just didn't have the "spark." But maybe he hadn't lost it. Or maybe that was what she had hoped. Either way, he was single and looking forward to the holiday with his only daughter. The nineteen-year-old spent last Christmas with her mother and stepfather, an alternating arrangement her parents created fourteen years ago. Even though she's old enough to make her own decisions now, she still felt it right to honor the agreement for her father. It wouldn't be fair to rid him the pleasure of her presence, even if it means being miserable for the entire month of December, stuck in some freaking log cabin without her friends or any real way to communicate with them. The more she thought about it, the more she felt like her Dad was actually trying to torture her.

"You ready?" Her father asked in his slight accent, pulling their last suitcase off of the conveyor belt.

"Yeah," Santana mumbled sarcastically as she started towards the airport door.

"Oh come on," he laughed, lifting the four bags, three of which belonged to his daughter, onto the luggage cart. "It won't be _that_ bad," he tried to joke. "I'm sure there'll be some pretty girls." Santana rolled her eyes at her father's usual attempt at showing how okay he was with her being gay. She came out almost five years ago and he still felt the need to tell her how okay he is with it almost routinely.

"Thanks for coming with me," he said more seriously. "I know we said you could decide for yourself once you were an adult. And I know this may not be your ideal winter break, but it really means a lot." He tried to throw a strong arm around his slightly smaller daughter as they stepped out into the brisk Colorado air. Her father's words began to mitigate the regret she'd been feeling the entire flight. She gave him a little smile.

"Who knows," he started with a wink, "maybe you'll even have some fun."

"Doubtful," she muttered to herself as she hopped into the cab. She took one last look out the window, saying goodbye to civilization and her winter break.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"Finally," Brittany breathed with a smile as she stepped through the familiar BlueCreek Lodge'slogged doors. Her body warmed from the mix of the lobby's heating and the comfort of her second home.

"Brittany!" Stanley, her favorite doorman, greeted her with a hug.

"Hi," she smiled, wrapping her arms around the elder man whose hair she could tell was thinning, even under his cap.

"Love the hat!" he said, tugging gently on the two dangling tassels hanging from the sides of her new hat. "One of my favorites," he said with a wink. Brittany giggled with satisfaction as she readjusted her light blue winter hat that matched her eyes perfectly. Every year, Brittany reveals a new hat of hers on her arrival day. Stanley has been the judge for the last fifteen years, starting with the day three-year-old Brittany stumbled through the same doors wearing her new Santa hat her Dad bought her for the trip. To this day, Stanley tells her she'll never beat it.

The blonde pranced through the lobby towards the front desk where she immediately reached out her right hand for the guy behind the counter.

"Brit!" He cheered, clearly doing a double take over the maturer blonde. She was 16 the last time he saw her. He slapped his hand against hers and grabbed hold of her fingers a little, the way most guys shook hands. "What's up girl? Gosh, you're looking older every time you come here," he smiled.

"That's because I am older," she laughed.

"I know," he chuckled. "You're just making me feel old. I miss one year here and I feel like an old man."

"You're twenty-six," she said after doing some math in her head. "Not that old."

"I'm twenty-four," he corrected with a slightly defeated look.

"Oh," Brittany blushed, "sorry."

"Charles!" Mr. Pierce interrupted in a strong, clear voice.

"Mr. Pierce," the young man smiled, suddenly sounding more professional. He reached his hand out for a firm handshake. "Welcome back."

"Thank you, sir," Brittany's father smiled.

Brittany, anxious to see the rest of her old friends, pushed past her mother and little brother.

"Brit, don't go far," her Mother warned. The girl shrugged off her Mom's comment and continued through the lobby. By the way her Mother treated her sometimes, you'd think she was a middle schooler, not a freshman in college. She understood, though. Brittany had the tendency to be a little...immature. No- immature wasn't the right word. Light-hearted. Overly optimistic. Seeing the good in all people. Sometimes too much good. Those were better descriptions. Before her mother knew it, Brittany was through the lobby doors and out of sight.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"Gracias- thank you!" Mr. Lopez corrected as the older doorman pulled the heavy door open for the two.

"Welcome," he greeted with a warm smile.

"Thanks," Santana mumbled not so enthusiastically. She was quickly softened by the warm heated air that hit her as she stepped inside. It was hard to act so annoyed when the place was so...beautiful. The ski lodge-esque decorations weren't nearly as tacky as she had expected. Admittedly, she kind of liked the leather sofas. She'd probably even consider putting them in her house one day. All the furniture made out of wood was a little much, but what did she expect? She followed her father to the front desk, taking in the warm colors of the wooden paneled walls. The stone fireplace in the corner was really pretty, too. Some fancy chandeliers, too. Santana leaned up against the counter, turning her back to the man behind the desk as she looked out the giant glass windows. The glass was everywhere. Doors, windows, walls. Through the corner window, Santana could see how big the resort actually was. It seemed to wrap around for miles. Each clear opening gave her a breathtaking view of the snow-covered mountains. For a moment, Santana even wished she liked skiing. Maybe this place wasn't _completely _bad. At least it still resembled civilization. She quickly shook off her thoughts by pulling out her iPhone. _Searching for service_. Yup. Just checking. She rolled her eyes as she tucked the phone back into her tight pocket. Another reminder of the next month of boredom that's about to hit her.

"Where's sissy?"An adorable little voice whined from the counter next to her.

"She'll be back soon," the Mom tried to quiet the child gripping her leg as she listened to the employee behind the counter.

"I wanna go with her!" The boy pleaded. He took a slight step out from behind her leg, revealing his bleach blonde hair and striking blue eyes, making him just as adorable as his voice had sounded.

"Lincoln, no!" The mother said in an attempt to be stern. She grabbed the tiny boy's wrist and he settled down.

"422 and 423," the man behind the desk caught Santana's attention.

"Here you are," her father said, handing her a key.

"I have my own room?" She asked, clearly surprised.

"Of course," he laughed. "What, did you think I expected you to put up with me for nearly a month? Our rooms are connected, though. It's all they had. But the doors will stay locked, don't worry."

"Thanks, Papá," she said, examining her new key. Her Dad really was a great guy, always doing his best to make her happy. As much as she didn't understand his draw to come to Colorado for vacation- but then again she never understood the allure to live in Ohio- she knew he'd try his best to make sure she enjoyed herself.

"Mommy," the little boy whined again, "where is Brit Brit?"

"Honey, please," her mother tried to hush him again. When he continued to tug at her arm she leaned down to scoop him into her arms. He was almost too big to be carried, but he still had a little time left. Santana examined the family. Both of the parents were very attractive. Almost too attractive to be parents. They were probably around the same age as her parents, but this father, with his olive skin and light brown, almost blonde, hair could be an adult model. The Mom was glowing, too. With the little boy in their arms, they looked like one of those photos that comes inside of a picture frame you buy. The kind that make you wish your family was that perfect.

The man behind the desk handed Santana a bunch of papers, on the top of which was a map. She didn't need a damn map. She could figure it out this place herself. As she went to put it away, though, she saw a few pictures of the multiple pools and hot tubs. A sauna, too. The facilities were really nice.

"Can we take you on a little tour?" The man asked Mr. Lopez.

"Sure," he said, smiling at his daughter. "Sound good?" He asked her. Santana rolled her eyes with a shrug. She hated formal tours. Regardless, she followed the employee and her father down the hallway.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

As soon as Brittany stepped back into the lobby, her little brother shrieked out for her.

"Brit Brit!" He cheered. The blonde smiled and walked over to her family, finally done saying her rounds of hellos in the lobby.

"It's about time," her mother smiled.

"Sorry," Brittany breathed. "I was catching up with some people."

"I know. You almost missed the Evans, though," she told her daughter. "They'll be here any minute."

Brittany's stomach twisted a little in excitement. Or maybe it was nerves. She hadn't seen her on and off again boyfriend since fall break, the five days or so they both got off from college around Thanksgiving time. They had been together since the summer going into Senior year. Brittany fell for him. He fell for her. Things were great. But college came fast and they both knew it was going to be hard. Brittany stayed in Michigan but Sam went all the way down to Florida. They decided the only thing that could work without putting a huge strain on their relationship would be to try an open relationship, meaning they could basically hook up with other people while they were apart, but when they were together, they were _together. _It's what most seniors who graduated had tried to do, so they figured it was their only realistic option. But Brittany rarely knew of it working. But it's what Sam had suggested and she thought it made a little sense. They were both pretty sexual people and being apart would be hard. The only rule they had: don't tell each other _anything_ about what they did. They knew jealousy would be too much.

Ask Brittany _now _and she'll tell you how fucking dumb the idea was. Her first semester of college was miserable. She couldn't stop thinking about what Sam was doing. Or _who_ he was doing. Their skype sessions were awkward. Tense, even. Meanwhile, Brittany couldn't bring herself to do _anything_. She wasn't a cheater. She cared about Sam. She didn't know why she agreed to the whole thing. Fall break came and she was so excited to finally see and _be _with her boyfriend. The doorbell rang and she sprinted down the steps to see him, expecting her stomach to flutter. But it didn't. And it hasn't since then. The spark that used to make Brittany swoon was gone. Things were just awkward. Sam felt it too. By the end of their night, they knew they had to break up. Brittany never found out if Sam ever actually got with other girls, but she didn't want to know. Their break up hurt, but Brittany knew it was right. Why stay with someone when neither of them felt _it_ anymore? But she missed him. Maybe not in _that_ way, but he still made her laugh harder than any of her friends and he totally got her goofy side. They were friends first. They could be friends again.

But when Sam had called Brittany to tell her that his family booked a vacation to her annual vacation spot via her Mom's advice, Brittany sensed Sam's intention to rekindle. Sure, she wants to feel the spark again, but what if she doesn't? She doesn't want to ruin their friendship even more.

She's tried to not think about it too much, but now he's here and she can't put it off any longer.

Brittany saw Sam's nine year old sister, Kate, skip through the door and she felt herself freeze a little. As soon as she saw the familiar blonde smile, though, her worries momentarily vanished. She sprinted through the lobby and jumped into his arms, excited to see her best friend.

"Brit!" He laughed.

"Sammy," she giggled as he spun her in the air. "So good to finally see you."

"You too," he said, putting her feet back on the ground. "Wow," he said, looking over his ex. "You look great."

"You too," she smiled, but she felt his gaze hold on her longer than hers on him. He looked up, his hazel-green eyes meeting hers. Nothing. No spark. She tried to shake that off, though. She can't expect to reconnect with just one look. It's going to take work and she knew that.

"This place is awesome," he said, sensing her awkwardness.

"Yeah," she smiled proudly. Brittany said a quick hello to Sam's parents, Kathy and Mark, as they walked through the doors. They hugged her warmly and Sam and Brittany followed them further inside.

Santana could barely bring her attention to thank the employee for the tour because of the movie-like reunion she just witnessed. She saw blonde hair sprinting across the lobby towards more blonde hair. She couldn't see the girl's face, but based off her hands she could tell the two had similar skin colors, too. She had assumed they were siblings, maybe separated by college or something, but the way the boy spun her, she didn't think they were related.

"Santana," her father with closed lips, giving her a slight nudge.

"Oh, sorry," she said, turning towards the employee. "Thank you," she said clearer.

"No problem," the man laughed. "Enjoy your stay!" He started saying something more to her father but she tuned them out, turning back to the blondes who she decided were around her age.

The girl reached her hand out to grab the boys as she turned to pull him behind her.

Santana felt her eyebrows arch a little. Almost like a movie scene, the girl ran her fingers through her loose hair that swept over her left shoulder. She looked so effortlessly graceful. More than anything, though, she was hot. Simply put, she was _hot_. Santana looked up and down her body, her long legs looking great in her black leggings. Her looser white shirt hung low enough to show a defined collarbone and neck. Santana felt herself smiling as she watched the girl sit down on the lobby sofa. The boy and his two little siblings followed behind.

"Santana," Santana heard.

"What?" She said without taking her eyes off the girl. She heard her father chuckle and she assumed that he had been trying to get her attention for some time.

"I'm going to go to the room. Put my bag away. You coming?" He asked.

"Um. I'll be up in a minute."

"Okay," he laughed.

"It's so cold here," Sam said, tightening his sweatshirt around himself.

"It's not that bad," Brittany laughed. "Wow, Florida has changed you."

"Shut up," he nudged her.

"You're not as tan as I expected," Brittany admitted.

"Oh come on," he said, sliding up his sleeve to examine his arm. "That's pretty good."

"It's decent," she joked.

Sam's little brother stood up and began whispering something in his ear.

"No," Sam whispered back a little defeated. "Not anymore. Just friends right now."

Brittany began to feel a little uncomfortable at Sam's hint at heartache. She began to look around the lobby to distract herself from their conversation. She saw Charles helping Mr. and Mrs. Evans checking in and smiled a little. They were always so nice. She saw a few people skiing and snowboarding on the mountain directly behind the resort. She always liked skiing an snowboarding, but she never lasted long. She always wanted to come in for some hot cocoa. Brittany heard some crashing noise behind her and turned quickly to see Isaac, the luggage man, picking up some suitcases that fell off the cart. She giggled when she realized he drove the cart into the wall. When Brittany turned back around, she saw a pretty brunette girl smiling at her. Assuming she also just saw the mini-catastrophe behind her, Brittany smiled back as if the two had some little inside joke. She turned back to Sam who was still talking to his little brother. She looked over at Kate and smiled.

"I love your jacket," she told the girl.

"Thank you," the girl barely managed to get out. She'd always been incredibly shy. When the girl turned away, Brittany's eyes caught back on the brunettes. She was smiling again. Being friendly like always, Brittany smiled back. She probably thought Kate was incredibly cute, which she was. She also noted that the girl must be new here, at least during the winter, because Brittany had never seen her before. Something told Brittany she thought she would have remembered her. She looked back over at Kate and giggled to herself a little as the tiny blonde struggled to unzip her jacket.

"Here," Brittany said, motioning for her to come closer. She did and Brittany helped her unzip it. "There you go." As she helped Kate slide the coat off her shoulders, she felt eyes still on her. Something made it hard for her to raise her own eyes up so she focused on Kate. After the coat was completely off and Kate took a seat next to her, Brittany let her eyes quickly flit up to verify what she assumed. The girl's was still staring at her. Slightly embarrassed, Brittany found herself looking towards the floor.

"You okay?" She heard Sam ask.

"Huh?" she said flustered.

"You're all red," he pointed out. Brittany realized how hot her face felt and from there it only intensified.

"Y-yeah," she shook her head. "I'm okay."

Brittany slyly looked back up and she swore the brunette was smirking at her. Brittany's heart started racing. She wasn't sure why somebody was making her blush this hard. Or why somebody was making her seem shy. Brittany was usually the friendly one.

"So are you gonna show me around?" Sam asked.

"Uh, oh yeah," she smiled, trying to shake her thoughts clear.

Santana watched the blonde stand up from the couch. She couldn't hide her smirk. She'd been smiling at the girl for some time before she caught her attention. It wasn't long before she had her blushing. Hard, too. Her fair skin got flushed almost instantly. As the girl turned around and began to walk away with the boy, Santana felt her eyes fall down the back of the girl.

_Damn_ she thought.

Just as the thought popped into her head, the girl peeked over her shoulder once more. This time, she didn't keep her deer-in-headlights expression. With a shy look, she smiled back. Then she disappeared through the doors.

Santana turned for the elevator. As she stepped inside, she couldn't help smiling. Maybe this trip wouldn't be _totally _lame.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

**Hey guys! I'm back :) I tried so soften the amount/degree of Bram that I planned on given the circumstances of Glee right now. Anyway, please please let me know what you think! I should be able to update frequently. **

**Review and let me know what you think! Or stop by my tumblr (slaves4hemo) and tell me. Want to make sure you want me to continue. Thanks guys! xoxo**


	2. Chapter 2

It took Santana the rest of the afternoon to unpack her bags. She had always been meticulous about her things and since she was going to be in this room for the next month, she knew she'd better put everything in it's place. The room was beautiful, just like the lobby. Admittedly, Santana even liked it better than her own room. The warm colors matched well with the modern furniture. She had her own flatscreen TV that hung above a dark chest, which she just finished filling with all of her clothes. But the bed, as comfortable as it was, she couldn't quite make her mind up on. It was a king size bed. Having that much space seemed like a tease. Hers was a queen, not much smaller, but even that seemed to big sometimes. She loved being able to spread out and relax, but when it came time for sleeping she felt...alone. Especially when she curled herself into a ball every night. Still, she was excited she didn't have to share with her Dad.

"San?" She heard with a knock at her door. She knew it was her Dad and was immediately confused as to why he didn't knock on their connecting doors. She guessed he was trying to respect her privacy. "You almost finished packing? Want to grab some dinner?" He shouted through the closed door.

Santana quickly stripped off her traveling t-shirt and pulled on a blue sweater. "Coming," she called back.

"The rooms are nice, huh?" He said as she stepped out of her room.

"Yeah," Santana agreed. "Where are we eating?"

"I figured we'd just eat at that bar and grill restaurant in the lobby," he shrugged. "Is that alright?"

"Fine with me," she said stepping onto the elevator.

Once Santana and her father were seated and settled in, Santana took a good look around. Sure, the place was awesome, but she still didn't know what the hell she was going to do there for the next month.

"So are you going to tell me more about college?" Her father asked as he began looking through the menu.

"Eh, it's cool," Santana said halfheartedly as she read down list of burgers.

_Traditional_

_Veggie_

_Barbecue_

_Hawaii_

_Double-decker_

"How are the kids?"

"Good," she shrugged. It wasn't that she didn't like school, she did. The kids were cool and she was pretty happy, she just didn't feel like talking that much right now. She was tired, traveling took a lot out of her.

"Just good?" He asked.

"I think I'm gonna get the Barbecue burger," she told him. "I haven't had a good burger in forever."

Her Dad chuckled a little. "The food any good at school?"

"No," she admitted. "I mean, not the cafeteria food. The restaurants and stuff are fine though."

Her Dad started telling her about the cafeteria food back when he was in college, but she tuned him out- like she did with most of his college stories-as soon as she saw the familiar little boy stumble into the restaurant.

"Lincoln," the mother called out as the boy got out of reach. He slowed down and turned to face her with the cutest, devil-like smile. Santana smirked at the sight and her Dad quickly turned to see what was making his daughter laugh.

"He cute," her father pointed out.

"Yeah," she smiled, watching the mother lift the boy up onto his chair. After the two were seated, Santana wondered where the father was. Her question was immediately answered when the beautiful man walked in smiling with the blonde girl from earlier. Of course, Santana thought. It made perfect sense. Another perfect addition to the perfect family.

"So have you looked at all the activities?" Her father asked trying to get her attention. Santana tried to take her eyes away from the girl, but something about her made her hard to stop watching.

"Not yet," she mumbled.

"Well there's a spa. The pools, skiing, snow tubing, shows, there's always something going on it seems like. And lots of places to relax."

"Yeah," Santana said mindlessly. She was trying hard to hear the blonde's words. It seemed like she didn't want to stay for dinner. She kept standing and he father kept gently pulling her back onto the seat. They were both giggling, though.

"Please," Brittany begged.

"After you eat something," her father said again. "The Evans have to settle in anyway."

"I'm not waiting for Sam, I just wanna go to the lookout!" She wasn't lying. Sure, Sam was planning on meeting her there later, but she just wanted to see her favorite place in the whole lodge. She didn't care who was there or who wasn't.

"It's not going anywhere," her mother said. "Spend some time with your family." Brittany pouted for a moment but quickly softened up when Lincoln began clapping his hands together.

Santana's eyes narrowed. She couldn't hear much, but she heard something about some 'lookout.' She quickly cursed herself for tossing the maps the employee gave her yesterday. How the hell was she supposed to find that place by herself?

"Oh, thanks," she smiled as the waiter brought over her hamburger.

Before she got too lost in her meal and her thoughts, she decided to clear up tonight with her Dad.

"Do you have something special planned for tonight?" she asked in between bites.

"Nothing in particular," he said. "I have some work I have to mail back by the end of the week, I was going to get a head start on it."

"Oh, nice," she said, happy that she wouldn't be abandoning him. "Wait," she said, "how are you going to send it?"

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Without internet, how are you going to send it?" Her Dad let out a breathy laugh.

"There's a post office a mile down the road," he smiled. "It's a package of files. There was life before internet, you know," he joked. He always took the chance to remind her of life when he was a kid. "Plus, if I needed internet, it's not like the whole _state_ doesn't have it, just the resort."

"Right," she said.

"Did you have something in mind?" he asked. "I can put off the work for awhile."

"No, no," she quickly said. "I'll probably just explore or something."

As she finished her burger, her eyes flickered towards the exit where the blonde hair disappeared to. Santana's head snapped around and saw the rest of her family still finishing up their meal. The girl's plate was empty, though.

"What are you looking at?" Her Dad asked her when she brought her attention back towards the exit.

"Nothing," she finally answered. Santana checked her Dad's plate and saw that he only had a little bit of steak left. He must have seen her eyeing his plate, because he asked, "Are you in some sort of rush?"

"Oh, no," she shook her head, trying her best to relax. But she was in a rush. She wanted to follow that girl. She had to find the lookout and she sure as hell had to talk to her. She wasn't going to survive at this lodge for a month without at least making a friend. She didn't know what or where 'the lookout' was, but she knew that's where the blonde was headed.

It only took her Dad another three minutes or so to finish and ask for the check. Another two minutes and the pair left the restaurant.

"Well, enjoy the rest of your night," her Dad said, planting a kiss on her forehead before stepping into the elevator. As soon as her Dad was gone, Santana turned towards the front desk. She didn't want to ask for help, so she quickly grabbed one of the brochure maps and turned away, frantically opening up the map as she kept walking down the hall.

_Lookout. Lookout. _

She tried to locate the spot on the map that the girl had been talking about. After over a minute of scanning the map, her eyes landed on _Lookout Peak._Yes. That's it. She quickly found herself on the map and headed towards the elevator. She got on and hit the top button, the tenth floor. She didn't even know there were ten floors. She stepped out and turned left like the map suggested, following the route until it curved around to the dead end. The hallway was pretty vacant except for the large door at the end of the hall, decorated by a wooden sign on top that read _Lookout Peak _in scribbled writing. Santana pushed the door open and her breath hitched. The view was literally breathtaking. In front Santana, all the walls were made of glass. The floor was tilted downward, sort of like it is in a movie theater, so that everyone inside could get an equal view of the mountain. The room was decorated with leather sofas, blankets, and benches spread out evenly throughout. Santana looked out at the snow covered mountain below her. She was raised above it all. The trees, the skiers, the nature. It was beautiful. She swore she could actually see the wind and the coldness. Thankfully, though, this room was heated.

She scanned the room again to look at the set up and her eyes latched onto the familiar blonde hair. The girl was sitting on a blanket at the very front of the room, hugging her knees to her chest. Santana was glad to see that she was alone. She stared at her for a moment before taking a step forward. She wasn't really sure how she wanted to approach the situation yet. Should she try to build the friendship first, or should she start hitting on her right away. She thought maybe somewhere in between was appropriate. She passed by a couple cuddling on one of the benches before being stopped in her tracks. The blonde boy from earlier today jogged down the side of the room and sat himself right next to her target. A little annoyed, maybe a little embarrassed, too, Santana slid into the nearest bench to her, giving herself a diagonal view of the two.

"Hey," Sam smiled. Brittany's face lit up at the sight of him and Santana took note.

"Hey," she sang as she nudged her shoulder into him.

"This is insane," he said, looking out.

"I know," Brittany agreed. "How beautiful."

Santana, though she couldn't hear all of the girl's words, decided she liked the sound of her voice. She felt weird, sitting there watching them. She could be looking at the amazing view, but she wasn't. She was staring at them, trying to figure out _why _she was still staring at them. She knew she was attracted to this girl, but, let's be honest, she was attracted to a lot of girls. Maybe it was the fact that she knew she was going to be isolated for the next month and she was in some sort of survival mode. Whatever it was, she wasn't leaving. Not until she at least got this girl's name.

"Sammy!" A voice from behind caused the pair to turn around. The same little girl from the lobby waved her brother towards her. "Dinner!" She called. The boy, Sammy, Santana assumed, said something to the blonde next to him before leaving towards his sister. Once the boy was gone, Santana was relieved to see that the blonde was staying still. Santana stood up and began to walk closer towards her. Not wanting to seem too aggressive, she took a seat on the bench a few feet away from the blonde instead of joining her on the blanket. The blonde turned her head as soon as she felt her presence. She smiled softly at Santana and Santana quickly returned the favor.

Brittany felt the girl, the same girl who had made her heat up in the lobby, staring at her. For some reason, she couldn't bring herself to look the girl in the eyes. Maybe it was because she was so pretty. Sometimes pretty girls intimidated her.

"It's so beautiful," Santana said. She saw the girl turn to her, almost as if she was checking to make sure the comment was directed at her.

"Yeah," Brittany agreed. "This is my favorite place to come," she confessed. Santana refrained from saying _wanky, _deciding she didn't quite know the girl well enough yet. "Is this your first time here?" The girl asked. Santana noticed that she seemed to gain confidence once she started talking.

"Yeah," Santana said. "I'm Santana," she told her right away, determined to get the girl's name.

"I like that," Brittany smiled. She had never heard that name before. "I'm Brittany."

Brittany. Of course! Santana suddenly remembered that her little brother had been begging for Brit Brit back in the lobby.

"Was that your boyfriend?" Santana asked boldly, nodding towards the door. Brittany felt her eyes widen a little.

"Sam? Oh, no," she said quickly. "No," she said again. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to make it clear to this stranger, but she did. "We used to date," she said. "In high school. College complicated things," she shrugged.

Santana nodded and looked back out at the view. Now Brittany was the one staring at her. Brittany wondered how the girl found this place. It took her a few years to find about about it, not that the lodge tried to hide it, though. It just wasn't advertised too well. She thought maybe they wanted it to be kind of special.

"So you're at college then?" Santana asked.

"Michigan State," Brittany told her.

"Good school," Santana said, impressed. "You like it?" she asked. Brittany just shrugged. Honestly, she didn't like it. Not at all, really. But she'd never tell anyone that. Both her parents went there, though. That's how she got in there in the first place. But she wanted to dance. Her parents did say she _couldn't _pursue dancing, but Brittany knew they wanted her to at least try some real world major first. So she did. And she hated it.

"It's alright," she settled for. "How about you?"

"I'm a freshman at Kenyon," Santana told her.

"In Ohio?" Brittany asked right before Santana was able to add the school's location. Santana was shocked she'd heard of it. It's a great school, but not too many people know of it right away.

"Mhm," Santana smiled.

"My friend's sister went there," Brittany grinned, recognizing how surprised Santana was she had heard of the school. Santana noticed how pretty her smile was.

"Did you leave someone behind?"

"Huh?" Santana asked, her eyebrows creasing a little.

"You know, did you leave some guy behind when you left for school?"

"Oh, no," Santana shook her head. "No. I'm actually gay," she said nonchalantly. She usually didn't give a shit how people reacted, but she was strangely anxious awaiting Brittany's reaction.

"Oh," Brittany said simply before pausing for a moment. "So did you leave a girl behind?" Santana smiled and she felt her body relax a little.

"Nah," she said. "Very much single. What about you? You find someone after Sam?"

"No," Brittany admitted. Part of her thought this should feel weird, talking so openly with a stranger. But it didn't feel weird at all. It felt natural. "I'm single, too," she told the girl. She watched Santana smile at her again. Brittany noticed how pretty she looked when she smiled. It made her smile a little, too. Suddenly, she felt like she had been smiling a little too long. Blushing, she averted her gaze back to the mountains.

Santana looked back out at the mountains, too, stifling her giggle a little at how easily the girl became red. She was also still smiling from the girl's reaction. _So did you leave a girl behind? _There was hardly any thought to it. She loved how open she was. Sure, maybe Santana would have liked for Brittany to say she was gay, too. That would have made things easier. But it wasn't like Santana had never kissed a straight girl. And it wasn't like that meant Brittany was _totally_ straight. Santana wasn't convinced, especially after seeing how open she was. Plus, she'd been blushing nonstop.

"So, Santana," Brittany finally said once she felt herself cool down. "How long are you here for?"

"Till just after new years, I think," she answered.

"Same," Brittany smiled. "New Year's Eve here's really fun."

"Yeah?" Santana asked. One of her main problems with being here over the break was missing out on all the killer New Year's Eve parties. Her friends were texting her all their sweet plans while Santana packed for the blizzard she was preparing to enter. "You come here often?" She asked.

"Every year during Christmas. Since I was like three."

"Wow," Santana said. "So you know this place pretty well, then."

"Yeah," she said. "I could show you around sometime," Brittany suggested. She wanted to spend more time with this girl. She was cool and Brittany rarely found friends here her own age.

"That be nice," Santana smiled, her eyes falling down the blonde again. Brittany felt her gaze and she began to heat up again. She felt silly, like she had something ridiculous on her face all day and nobody bothered to tell her.

Santana noticed the embarrassment on the girl's face. "Sorry," she quickly said. "It's just, you're really pretty." Santana flashed her another soft smile, and just like she intended, the girl's face reddened even more. This is how she worked. Ease into the flirting. This way she could test the waters. If Brittany clearly wasn't feeling it, she could cease it early and go down the friend route, something she desperately hoped wouldn't happen.

"Thanks," Brittany said, not able to look the girl in the eyes. She wasn't sure why this girl was making her blush so hard. She'd been told she was pretty before. By guys and by girls. She was grateful the girl asked another question to relieve her.

"So, what is there to do around here anyway?" Santana asked, well aware of how embarrassed Brittany was getting.

"Tons," Brittany smiled, suddenly excited by the possibilities. "Even nothing is more fun here," she smiled. Santana liked her child-like spirit.

"Maybe you could show me sometime?" Santana asked, rising to her feet. Brittany looked up at the girl, unsure as to why she was standing. She hoped maybe she was coming to sit beside her. Santana began to walk, slowly and deliberately, right in front of Brittany. When Brittany noticed the girl was getting ready to leave, she spoke up.

"Tomorrow?" She urged, wanting desperately to see her soon. Santana looked down at her with a smug look.

"Tomorrow?" Santana repeated. She saw Brittany hanging on her words. "Perfect," she smiled. With that, she turned towards the exit.

Brittany watched the girl saunter away. Even the way she moved fascinated Brittany. She wished she hadn't told Sam she was going to meet up with him tonight. Maybe then she could have invited the girl out for ice cream. Maybe ice cream was dumb, Brittany thought. She seemed mature. She probably didn't want to go eat ice cream.

"Oh," Santana smiled over her shoulder. "Nice talking to you."

"Yeah," Brittany managed to get out. "Yeah, you too." As the girl disappeared even further, Brittany shouted, "See you tomorrow!" Santana didn't turn, she just smiled to herself, knowing _exactly_ what she was doing.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

**Hey guys! Thanks for the sweet messages and reviews! Let me know if you're still feeling the story! You're the best! Xoxo**

**Tumblr- Slaves4hemo**


	3. Chapter 3

Santana woke up with more nerves than she had expected. It's not that she was nervous to see Brittany, but rather she was nervous Brittany wouldn't want to see her. Sure, she had pulled out her best moves, and yeah Brittany _seemed _interested in hanging out again, but nothing was definite. Santana had seemed confident in the moment, but as soon as she laid her head down on her pillow that night, her thoughts caught up to her. She didn't know if there was even a chance Brittany could be into girls. Yeah, the girl had blushed around her a few times, but when Santana thought about it, she realized that that could just as easily mean Brittany was uncomfortable.

Brittany wasn't uncomfortable though. In fact, she woke up way more relaxed than she had been the night before. She was excited at the possibility to see Santana again. She liked that the girl wanted to be her friend. She was really nice, too, giving Brittany sweet compliments just because. She was prettier than any of Brittany's other friends, too, Brittany noted (not that it mattered).

When Brittany got back to her room last night, she realized that Santana and her hadn't planned a place or time to meet. It was just sort of open. She hoped she'd run into the girl again today and would have the opportunity to hang out.

She decided it would be best to hang out in the lobby for awhile, this way she had the best chance of seeing the girl. When Brittany got down there, though, Sam was waiting for her on the couch.

"Hey," he smiled, rising to his feet.

"Oh, hey!" Brittany smiled, almost forgetting he was here. "How'd you sleep?" she asked.

"Good," he laughed. "They had a great time," he said, nodding to his parents who were eating breakfast behind him. "Maybe a little _too_ good of a time." Brittany laughed, too. Brittany and Sam watched last night as their parents had one too many glasses of wine. By the disheveled looks of Mr. and Mrs. Evans, it was clear they were a little hungover.

"Poor guys," Brittany smiled. Her parents didn't look that bad this morning. When Brittany pulled her attention away from his parents and back to her friend, she realized Sam was staring at her.

"It's so good to see you again," he said. Brittany smiled as Sam wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into a familiar half hug. "You're as pretty as ever," he said softer.

"Thanks," Brittany smiled again. It was nice to hear and she liked the compliment, but Brittany found it weird that she didn't heat up the same way she had when Santana called her pretty. She figured it had something to do with Santana being a stranger. Sam had called her pretty plenty of times, plus he had been in love with her at one point. People always thought someone was prettier when they loved them. She thought maybe his words were just wearing out.

"So what are you doing today?" he asked her.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Probably just hanging out."

"You're Mom said something about some game lounge?"

"Oh, yeah," she said. "I can show you?" Sam nodded with a smile and she led him towards the elevator.

"They have this teen night club type place too," she said more enthusiastically as they waited for the elevator to arrive.

"Yeah?" His eyes widened. "Like on the Disney Cruise?"

"I guess," she shrugged. "It's for people a little older though, I think." He nodded. That made sense. The elevator made the dinging noise, signaling that it arrived onto that floor, and the doors slide open. As the two were about to step on, Santana and her father stepped off.

"Oh," Brittany smiled. "Hi!"

"Hey," Santana smiled back, pleased to see that the girl was genuinely happy to see her.

"I was just going to show Sam the game room if you wanna come," she told her. Santana nodded to her Dad, about to explain to Brittany that she could meet up with her later, but she had promised her Dad she would eat breakfast with him.

"Go ahead," her Dad leaned down and whispered to his daughter. Santana looked at him frozen and unsure of what to say. She obviously wanted to go, but she felt awful leaving him alone. "I'll be alright," he laughed. "Go with your friends."

"You sure?" Santana asked once more.

"Yeah," he smiled, looking at the blonde and her friend.

"I'll meet you for lunch?" She asked. Her father nodded and, not wanting to embarrass her, he refrained from planting a kiss on her forehead. He gave her a small pat on the back and headed out through the lobby.

Brittany and Sam stepped fully onto the elevator and Brittany hit floor 6.

"Oh," Brittany smiled, "this is Sam. Sam, this is Santana. The girl from last night," she explained. Sam nodded in recognition and Santana bit down on her lip, trying her best to hid her smile. She loved that Brittany had mentioned her to Sam.

"Hey," Sam smiled. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," she said. As much as Santana wanted to be alone with Brittany, she was kind of glad Sam was with them. She wanted to observe them, to see how they interacted. Santana was the most herself when she was with her friends, so maybe it would be the perfect chance to see how Brittany acted. Plus, she could scope out if there were any remaining feelings between the two.

"So where are you from?" Sam asked.

"Ohio," she told him.

"Ah," he smiled. "I'm from Michigan, too," he said, nodding to Brittany, in case Santana hadn't already figured it out. Santana nodded in recognition. Part of her didn't want to like Sam. Or rather, she felt like she shouldn't. But so far, she did. He seemed really genuine.

"Yay!" Brittany cheered when the elevator opened. She took a step out to the right and the two followed behind her.

"This your first time here, too?" He asked as the walked through the hallway.

"Yup," she said. "It's pretty sweet."

"Yeah," he agreed. "Do you snowboard or anything?"

"I've skied a couple of times," she shrugged. "I've never snowboarded though."

"It's awesome!" He quickly added. "You've gotta try it while you're here."

"Okay, Sam," Brittany said without turning around. "Settle down." Santana giggled a little as Sam ran up beside her.

"Are you gonna go out with me?" He asked, nudging his body into hers. Santana watched as Brittany's expression turned to one of shock. "On the slopes!" he quickly added, realizing how his question sounded. "Are you gonna go out on the slopes with me?" Sam's face got red almost as easily as Brittany's. They really did look like siblings, sometimes.

"Maybe," she laughed. She had a cute laugh, Santana thought. "In here," Brittany pointed. The three stepped inside of a large, blue, room. In the center, there were ping pong, pool, and foosball tables. A few kids were playing while others were watching TV on the sofa in the corner. Santana also spotted a pinball machine by the TV.

"This is sweet!" Sam said. "Where's the dance club?"

"There's a dance club?" Santana said, her eyes widening.

"Sort of. It's like a teen lounge," Brittany shrugged. "They have a DJ and stuff. It's right down the hall. What day is it?"

"Uh, Sunday, I think," Santana said.

"Yeah, it's not open today," Brittany nodded. "I think Tuesdays through Saturdays."

"Cool," Sam said. "You gonna pull out the old moves?" He smiled.

"Shut up," Brittany playfully shoved him.

"Play me?" he asked, picking up a paddle on the ping pong table.

"Santana, you want to?" Brittany offered the paddle to the girl.

"No," she smiled. "You two play, I'll watch."

Brittany was pretty good, but she was no match for Sam. Santana realized how athletic they both were. And funny, too. Neither of them had stopped laughing the entire match. Santana liked seeing Brittany relaxed and confident, unlike most of their conversation yesterday.

"Santana, you want winner?" Brittany asked after Sam announced that next point won.

"Crap," Sam said. "You take the next game," he said to Santana. "I told my Mom I'd give her a break from my brother and sister so she could take a tour. I gotta get going."

"You can't leave in the middle of the game," Brittany pouted. Santana noted again how cute it was.

"Quick. Serve," Sam said, motioning with his hands. Brittany hit the ball onto Sam's side, he returned it, and Brittany hit it back over. On purpose, Sam whiffed at the ball.

"Shoot," he exclaimed.

"Come on," Brittany rolled her eyes, annoyed that he let her win.

"I'm gonna want a rematch," he said with a goofy smile and wink before he tossed his paddle onto the table. "Save one for me?" He asked. When she didn't answer right away, he started to walk out. "See ya later! Nice to meet you Santana!" He called out. And he was gone.

Brittany tossed her paddle onto the table and shook her head.

"I hate when he lets me win," she said.

"He just wants a guarantee that he'll get to play you again," Santana said. "Can you blame him?"

Brittany looked up at the girl's brown eyes. They seemed to be sparkling a little.

"He's funny," Santana added when Brittany didn't answer.

"Yeah," Brittany agreed. "Can I- can I ask you a question?" Brittany asked after a long pause.

"Shoot," Santana said.

"Do you, um, did it seem like he was flirting at all?" Santana almost laughed.

"Did you just see him?" She asked. Brittany just stared, not sure what to say. "I mean, I don't know him so I don't know what he's normally like, but he did just wink, did you miss that?"

"I saw it," Brittany sighed. She paused for awhile again, thinking about all he had said. "Earlier today, he told me I was pretty."

Sincerely, Santana added, "You are." Again, Brittany felt herself blush.

"We haven't talked about getting back together," she confessed. "And I- I don't know what page he's on." Brittany leaned up against the ping-pong table and Santana walked over to lean beside her.

"Well, do you want to?" Brittany looked up at Santana.

"I- I'm sorry," she stammered. "I'm sure you don't wanna hear about this. You just met me and I-"

"No," Santana smiled. "You can tell me." Brittany smiled at her sincerity. It wasn't often that people actually wanted to listen to what she had to say. Even her best friends weren't always this welcoming.

"I mean, I thought I did for awhile. I miss him, I do. But I don't feel _it_," she whispered. "You know what I mean?"

"Yeah," Santana nodded.

"But he's such a good friend. And he's a great guy, I don't want anything I do to hurt him or our friendship. I really do want the spark back. I do. It was there at one point. And it was great."

Santana wasn't sure what to say. She was torn. Everything she _wanted _to say she realized wasn't her place to say.

"You could see," Santana shrugged. "You could try to get it back, I guess. It's just tricky, though, because you also don't want to lead him on."

"Yeah," Brittany sighed. Santana thought about what her mother would say.

"I guess the most important thing is to just be honest with him. All the way through." Brittany nodded. She ran her fingers through her hair and Santana noticed again how pretty she was.

"Thanks," she smiled. The girls fell silent. "Oh my gosh!" Brittany whispered after a moment. "I love this song!" Santana listened closely. She didn't recognize the song but the british voice reminded her a lot of one of her favorite songs, a song by an australian boy.

"It's pretty," Santana agreed after a short pause. "Have you ever heard 'Washing Line'?"

"Huh?" Brittany's brow knitted together.

"The song. 'Washing Line.' Have you ever heard it?" Brittany shook her head.

"Oh. It's one of my favorites. Really pretty. This young australian, kid he's really talented. If this place had internet I'd show you this great acoustic version he does."

"Of course this place has internet!" She smiled. Santana's eyes popped out of her face which made Brittany laugh.

"What?"

"Do you seriously think a place like this could function without internet access?" Brittany giggled.

"Wait, what?" Santana froze. "How do I get it?"

"Well, you can't," she laughed. "I mean, guests can't. Not normally anyway. But I can," she grinned as she arched her eyebrows upward. "Follow me," she breathed, grabbing Santana's hand and pulling her out of the game room.

Contact made. Santana had touched Brittany for the first time. Her skin was so soft. As soon as they made it out of the room, Brittany dropped Santana's hand from hers and Santana's hand felt naked. Not wanting to be left behind, Santana followed closely behind her. They made it to a stairwell Santana had assumed was for emergencies.

"Shh," Brittany hushed, putting her finger to her lips. Santana nodded and Brittany silently pushed the door open. She peered in and, once she saw the coast was clear, waved Santana in. The girls silently descended seven sets of steps. If Santana did her math correctly, that would put them in the basement. When Brittany pushed the door open to reveal a barren hallway, Santana knew she had been right. They tiptoed through the hall until they reached another door. Brittany peered in before opening it. Inside, it lead to _another _hallway, this one thinner and with a few doors on the walls. Santana felt like she was in a maze.

"Almost there," Brittany turned to whisper so softly Santana was left to read her lips. As she turned back around, Brittany was stopped by a loud creek. It sounded like a door not far away closing. Instinctually, Brittany grabbed Santana's wrist, contact number two, and ran to the nearest door on the left. She jiggled the handle but it was locked. Brittany ran again, faster this time, to the next door. This one opened. She quickly stepped inside, pulling Santana in behind her. Brittany's legs bumped against some box-sized item behind her but caught onto Santana's wrists to save herself from tripping backwards. The closet, they assumed, was tiny. Really tiny.

"Close it," Brittany urged to Santana, pointing at the door. Santana reached forward and grabbed the handle. In order to close the door completely, Santana had to step further inside. Brittany's hands landed on Santana's hips from behind and she yanked her backwards. The door closed as Santana's backside fell in place with Brittany. Contact number 3. 4. And 5. 6, 7 ,8... Her breath hitched. Brittany's entire body was pressed up against hers. She felt Brittany breathing, her chest rising and falling slowly, her breath hitting Santana's neck. At least a minute passed without either girl having moved. Santana felt her heart racing. She wished that music was playing and that they were dancing and that this was real. But it wasn't, and she knew that. This wasn't Brittany's plan like she so badly wished it was. It was pure luck. For her, anyways.

Brittany's body was getting tired. She was trying to give Santana some space so had been standing only on her tippy-toes. As more time passed and it became clear that they weren't leaving any time soon, Brittany let her feet relax. Her body pressed even closer to Santana's.

"Sorry," she whispered, her words hitting Santana's ear and chilling her spine. It took everything Santana had not to let out a content hum. She swore Brittany was _trying_ to tease her.

"Don't worry about it," Santana managed to get out in a smooth voice. "Really," she added with a smirk. She wished she could see Brittany's face, but Brittany was glad the girl couldn't. She couldn't even imagine how embarrassed she looked, invading this girl's space like this.

A couple minutes passed with them in this position. Seven, Santana thought. Honestly, though, she just wanted it to be seven so she could refer to this moment as seven minutes in heaven. Either way, minutes later they heard the door the had entered through creak open and the door at the opposite end of the hall close. Brittany let out a long, breathy sigh as her body relaxed against Santana's.

"I think we're good," she whispered.

"Yeah?" Santana said, reaching for the door handle. She stepped outside and immediately turned to face the blonde. Simply put, she was turned on. Having someone she was attracted to pressed up against her for that long was driving her crazy. But Brittany looked shy again, the expression that had been in hiding all day.

"Sorry," she apologized once more. "Didn't mean to trap you in a closet all that time."

"Please," Santana chuckled, "I've been trapped in a closet for _much_ longer than that." Brittany stared at Santana for a moment before the joke sunk in.

"Oh," she smiled. Then she began laughing. "You're funny."

"Thanks," Santana said, happy the girl thought so. Brittany wanted to ask her about her comment. She wanted to know when she came out. How hard it was. When she realized she liked girls. She had a million questions running through her mind but she didn't know if they were okay to ask yet. So she waited.

"Just up the corner here," she said, pointing towards the door that ultimately led to a computer with internet.

"How did you find this place."

Brittany shrugged. "You just gotta make friends with the right people."

Santana smiled at her. "Looks like I'm off to a good start."

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

**Thank you for all the reviews and messages! I read them all and love hearing what you have to say. Let me know what you think!**

**Xoxo**

**-Slaves4hemo**


	4. Chapter 4

Brittany opened the door for Santana and the girls entered a bare, white room with nothing but a desk, a chair, a computer, and a printer.

"Is this the only computer they have?" Santana asked.

"No," Brittany laughed. "They have a whole computer lab in a room behind the front desk. This is just where Charles comes when he has to print out the guest's boarding passes or other flight info."

"Ah," Santana breathed, walking closer to the chair. She wasn't sure who Charles was, but she guessed he was an employee.

"Go ahead," Brittany motioned to the computer. "Check your email or whatever." Santana felt a little rude checking her email while the girl just sat there but Brittany insisted. It only took about a minute to check her email, though, since she had just checked two days before. Subconsciously, Santana typed Facebook into the url bar and logged in. She had a few new notifications, one of which was a comment on her profile picture. She clicked the link and her photo, a picture of Santana and her friend Emilie hugging tightly, both clearly a little tipsy, at a party before Santana left for break. Emilie was the one who commented. Santana giggled a little when she read it.

_Ahh love you babe! Missing your ass come home asap_

"Looks like you're having fun," Brittany laughed softly, her voice surprising Santana a little.

"Oh, yeah," Santana smiled. She smiled back.

"You look cute. You both do," Brittany quickly added, worried she said too much.

"Thanks." Santana felt her smile grow a little wider.

"Friend me," Brittany blurted out. Santana turned to look at the girl but Brittany quickly leaned over Santana, her arms falling over each of her shoulders, and she typed her typed her name into the search bar. Santana's body froze. Brittany could have easily came around the front of Santana to type on the keyboard, avoiding any contact. But she didn't. And now Santana could feel the girl's breath falling down her neck.

Santana saw the blonde's profile picture, Brittany in a pool with Lincoln on her shoulder's. Santana immediately noticed that Brittany had cropped the photo so that it cut off Brittany's body from her shoulders down. Tease, she thought.

"Brittany Pierce," Santana read out loud, learning of the girl's last name for the first time.

"Santana Lopez," the blonde read back, making Santana smile a little.

There was a moment in the air then that both the girls felt. Neither of them were sure exactly what it was, but their gaze held a little longer than usual and the silence lasted a little longer than normal.

Santana gulped, swallowing any nerves that had just popped through her body. She turned back to the computer and logged off Facebook, standing up from the chair. "Your turn," she said to Brittany.

"Oh, I'm fine," she shrugged. "Aren't you going to show me that song?" She asked.

"Oh, right!" Santana sat back on the chair, almost having forgotten why they came there in the first place. She pulled up Youtube and typed in _Washing Line- Thommy Wilson_. She clicked on the Balcony TV version since she was a bigger fan of the acoustic.

As soon as the video loaded, Brittany leaned over Santana's chair, resting one hand on the desk, the other on the back of the chair. Her head hung right above Santana's shoulder as she peered over the girl at the computer. Santana froze, happy again to be so close to the girl.

"Aw," Brittany cooed. "He's cute." Since the boy was only 15, Santana didn't feel any jealousy at Brittany's minor swooning. Brittany liked the boys cute, shy look. She liked his australian accent, too. She really liked the music, though. When the boy started playing guitar, she was mesmerized by the tune.

"It's pretty," she hummed at the start. Santana nodded but didn't take her eyes off the screen. If she moved to face the girl, there was a slight chance their faces would bump.

_I admire you washing line_

_You never commit any crimes_

Brittany loved his voice. It was so pretty. She didn't even care she already had no clue what the boy was singing about, as long as she continued to feel this calm.

_You stay outside you never complain_

_You keep a smile through the pouring rain_

Santana's smile grew as one of her favorite songs played throughout the tiny room.

_And the washing line stands up all day_

_Soon enough she's gonna have to say 'I'm tired. I need my rest my whole life I've tried my best'_

_Well you deserve it more than anyone, standing out there in the midday sun_

_Well you deserve it more than anything_

_Cause we'll all open our arms and let you in_

Santana wasn't sure if Brittany would understand the song right away. None of her friends got it. Every time she played it her roommate would huff, "I don't understand how you're still listening to this shit. It's about a fucking washing line!" Santana knew it wasn't, but honestly, even if it was about a washing line, she would probably still love it. It was so damn catchy.

_And all I wanna do is go dancing in the rain with you_

_And all I wanna do is ease some of the pain for you_

_for you_

This was Santana's favorite part. Brittany's face really lit up. With the mention of one word, she fell in love with the song.

_I admire you washing line_

_Your smile is as warm as sunshine_

Without letting the song finish, Brittany declared, "I love it."

"Yeah?" Santana smiled, careful to not turn her head into Brittany.

"Yes," she smiled, sitting herself down on top of the desk so she could face Santana.

Brittany missed the rest of the words, but when the part came up again, she sang along softly, rising to her feet to do a little twirl.

"And all I wanna do is go dancing in the rain with you!" Santana giggled a little but she noticed how graceful Brittany looked. "That's the cutest part," Brittany confessed. Santana nodded in agreement.

"Have you ever danced in the rain?" Brittany asked over the music.

"Uh, not that I remember," Santana admitted.

"You would have remembered," Brittany smiled. "It's so fun."

"You like dancing?" Santana asked. There was something in the girl's blue eyes, though, that already told her the answer.

"I love it," Brittany told her, her voice getting softer. Just talking about dancing was making her miss it again. It's not that she didn't dance anymore. She pretty much danced in some capacity every day. Still, it wasn't _anything _compared to her high school days. "I'm a dancer," Brittany continued. "Well, I used to be a dancer," she said disappointedly, unsure if she could still call herself a dancer.

"Really?" Santana asked, her face lighting up a little. Her eyes quickly fell down the girls body and she nodded. It made sense, her being a dancer. She had a dancer's body.

"Yeah," Brittany breathed. Santana could sense she was a little distraught. "Well, I used to. In high school."

"Like competitions? Or, like, just for fun?"

"Well both. I went to the studio everyday after school. I had a bunch of competitions and shows, but it was more of an outlet."

"Do you still take classes or anything?" Santana really wanted to see the girl dance. She liked the way she moved already. She could only imagine what seeing her dancing would do, especially if she was any good.

"I wanted to go to college for it. I had some schools picked out and some offers but," she paused, "it just didn't work out that way." Brittany didn't want to tell her that she didn't take up dancing because of her parents who never actually _told _her she couldn't pursue dancing. When she told most people that, they laughed at how dumb she was.

Santana quickly realized that Brittany didn't want to talk about this any further, so she changed the subject.

"Well I wanna see you dance. Are you gonna go to that club sometime?" Brittany smiled, relieved that this girl didn't push the college subject any further.

"Actually, one day a week it's an 18 and older club, and since I've never been able to go to that before, I'm gonna check that out. I'll make sure to let you know which day I decide to go."

"Good," Santana smirked. "Because I love a girl that can dance."

Brittany felt her face get a little red, but she was getting better at controlling it. Santana had made a few comments like this. Ones that made her a little more nervous than comments like that normally did. She wasn't sure if Santana was normally like this or if she was actually..._flirting?_ Part of her told her that that's how she was with everyone. Another part of her told her that maybe she was into her. Brittany wasn't completely sure which part she actually wanted to be true.

She also didn't want to offend Santana and make her into some stereotype. Brittany had never been friends with an openly gay girl. Almost all her male dancer friends were gay, and she knew two bisexual girls, one of which would accredit Brittany to helping her discover her bisexuality. Still, Brittany didn't want to assume Santana was into her just because she was trying to be her friend. She knows how rude it is when guys act like her dancer friends are hitting on them just because they're being friendly. Maybe Santana was just being friendly?

Santana wasn't just being friendly, though. She still wasn't sure how Brittany was reacting on the inside, but she knew her flirtatious comments still made Brittany a little bashful.

"Shoot, do you know what time it is?" Santana asked, realizing she promised her Dad she'd meet him for lunch. She turned towards the computer and saw that it was already past one. "I gotta go meet my Dad."

"No problem," Brittany smiled. She quickly ran over to the computer, cleared the internet's history, and turned the lights off before opening the door for Santana.

"Thanks for taking me here," Santana smiled.

"Of course," she said. "Thanks for showing me that song." Santana nodded and took a step past Brittany. Brittany felt her eyes scan down Santana's body. She watched her walk, Santana unaware of the pair of eyes watching her. Brittany wanted to see her dance too. No, she didn't wanna just watch her, she wanted to dance with her.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

After spending the entire afternoon with her Dad, Santana wasn't thrilled to learn that Brittany would be spending the evening with Sam. Santana thought about going out to the lobby to make some other friends, since it was inevitable that she couldn't spend _every_ day with Brittany, but she settled for a movie in her room. But Santana's mind was buzzing with thoughts, like it normally did whenever she spent time alone. She dug through the closet to find her suitcase and pulled out her favorite leather-bound journal. On the cover, SL was engraved in cursive letters. Her mother bought it for her as a going away to college present. Santana went through journals like it was her job. Her Mom bought her first one for her when she was only seven, but Santana didn't really start using them until she was about fifteen. For a long period of time, she was too paranoid about who would read her private thoughts, so she just didn't write any of them. Once she got over that, she realized how amazing it felt to write. She wrote about everything. She wrote about her day. She wrote about that boy in class who wouldn't shut up. She wrote her thoughts on the new episode of Girls. She wrote about her future and she wrote letters to the people in her future. She wrote ideas for movies. She wrote short stories. She wrote poems. She doodled. She wrote her name over and over again. She didn't care what she was writing, it felt good to just write.

She started writing about the lodge, since she hadn't written anything since she got there. She drew a tiny map of what she could remember so far. She explained minor details and wrote about how pretty it was. But eventually, like she had expected, Brittany's name was scribbled onto the page. Santana stopped. She wasn't exactly sure what she wanted to say. She wrote about her immediate attraction to the girl, but as she wrote, she realized that wasn't entirely what it was anymore. She actually liked spending the time with her, and not just because she was so pretty. It was only when there was a knock on her door that Santana stopped and realized she had written an entire page about the girl.

Santana laughed a little at the knock. She told her Dad he could knock on their connecting doors but he continued insisting on acting like their rooms weren't connected.

"What's up?" She laughed as she pulled open the door. "Oh," she breathed, shocked at the figure standing at her door.

"Oh, sorry," Brittany breathed, noticing the girl's confused expression.

"No, sorry, I just, I thought you were my Dad."

"Do you have your own room?" Brittany asked.

"Yeah, sort of," Santana explained. "He's connected to mine," she said, nodding towards his room.

"Oh, cool." Santana smiled as it sunk in that Brittany was at her door. Then Santana blushed a little, pulling her journal behind her back, a little embarrassed to be holding it. Nobody really knew she journaled. They knew she was interested in writing, though, so she assumed they wouldn't think anything of it.

"So what's up?" Santana asked after a long pause. Brittany felt silly. She was the one who had knocked on her door and she wasn't saying anything.

"Well, Sam actually had to babysit, so I thought I'd see if you were free." Brittany hoped she didn't look too desperate. She also hoped Santana didn't think she was just a backup plan. Truthfully, Sam asked had her to babysit with him, but Brittany didn't feel like spending the night with him and his little brother and sister.

"I thought maybe you'd wanna go get some ice cream or something," Brittany shrugged. She wished she could think of anything other than ice cream, but she couldn't.

"Yeah, sure," Santana smiled. "Let me just grab some shoes," she said. "You can come in," she laughed when the door almost closed on Brittany's static face. Brittany took a step inside and watched as Santana tossed a notebook onto the bed. She slipped her feet into her tiny tan Uggs as her black sweatpants fell over them. Santana wished she had known Brittany was coming, she would have worn something a little cuter. She was relieved Brittany was in sweats, too, though she looked much cuter than Santana. She grabbed a zip up hoodie and followed the blonde out of the room.

"How'd you find my room anyway?"

"Charles," she shrugged. "He works at the front desk."

"Ah," Santana smiled, happy that she found her. "Does Sam have to babysit a lot?" She asked as the stepped onto the elevator.

"Uh, not really. But my Aunt just got in, so my parents are taking her out to dinner. They invited Sam's parents along, so he's on babysitting duty."

"Where's your brother?" Santana asked.

"He has his own little friends, too, thankfully," she smiled. "Santana followed Brittany off the elevator and she lead her down a long hallway to a section with a few tiny stores. In the corner was a tiny ice cream parlor.

"Brittany Pierce," A young guy smiled from behind the counter. He was probably only a few years older than the girls, Santana suspected.

"Hi there," she grinned.

"Welcome back, how've you been?"

"Pretty good, you?"

"Good, good," he smiled. "Is this your friend?"

"Oh yeah, this is Santana," She said, pointing to the girl. "This is Greg."

"Hi," Santana smiled.

"Hey," he grinned. He wasn't particularly attractive, but Santana could tell he was a sweet guy. "What can I get for you two?"

"Brownie sundae," Brittany smiled like a young kid. Santana giggled at how excited she looked.

"I'll have the same," She decided.

"Sounds good," he nodded, turning around to make the two sundaes.

"I haven't had a good sundae in forever," Santana said.

"It's homemade," Brittany squealed. She could hardly contain herself. "The brownies are warm, too." They watched as Greg made their sundaes. When he was finished, Brittany and Santana were waiting over by the register.

"Two brownie sundaes," he smiled, handing the two dishes to the girls. "On the house."

"Greg," Brittany sighed. By the way she sighed, Santana figured this had happened more than once.

"No, I insist. It's your first one! A welcome sundae. It has to be complimentary," he smiled.

"Alright," she agreed. "Just this one," she told him. He nodded and Brittany walked over to the table. Santana sat next to her and laughed a little.

"Wow, you didn't even have to work for that one."

"Huh?" Brittany said, confused, scooping the first mouthful into her mouth.

"Well when I get free stuff, I usually have to at least _work_ for it." Brittany just stared at her. "Does that happen a lot?" She asked. "You get free stuff a lot?"

"Not that often," she said slowly. "I mean, Greg tries to give me free stuff a lot, but I don't normally let him. Sometimes at the mall I'll get a free soda or something."

"And you don't have to try?"

"Try?" She asked.

"I mean, you just walked up and smiled. You didn't even have to flirt." Again, Brittany just stared, like she wasn't sure what they were talking about.

"I guess that's what happens when you're so damn attractive," Santana said, taking a bite of her ice cream. Brittany looked up, her eyes a struggling to hide her surprise. A few moments passed, both girls silently eating their ice cream.

"This is really good-"

"Is that why you think he gave it to me? Because he thinks I'm attractive?" Brittany asked genuinely.

"I'd give it to you for free, too," Santana admitted, barely looking up from her bowl at the blonde. "Guys always give stuff away to girls they think are attractive," she shrugged.

"So you think he thinks I'm attractive?" Santana looked up and nodded slowly at the girl, smile on her lips.

Brittany looked over at Greg. He was smiling at her. When the two made eye contact, Greg bashfully averted his eyes. Brittany didn't really care, though. She was still stuck on what Santana said. First _that's what happens when you're so damn attractive _and then _I'd give it to you for free, too._ Brittany stumbled on her words a few times before finally managing to get out what was eating at her.

"So you think I'm attractive?" The words were super quiet. Her nervousness made Santana smile.

"I'm attracted to you," Santana said nonchalantly, eyeing the girl for a moment before looking back down to her ice cream. Brittany felt her entire body catch on fire. The girl's words ran through her.

She wasn't sure why she wanted to know the answer to the question, but it was like an itch she needed scratched. Santana did way more than scratch the itch. Her answer, as blasé as it had seemed, was making Brittany's head run wild.

Santana looked up at the girl with a tiny smirk. She was just being honest, but she could tell the girl was _not_ expecting that answer.

With that declaration, Brittany felt something change. Maybe Santana _was_ flirting with her. Maybe she wasn't like that with everybody. Maybe she was actually into the blonde. What Brittany found most surprising though, was how nervous it was making her.

A girl had admitted to having an attraction to Brittany once, and Brittany did the opposite of act nervous. In fact, when Brooke had confessed that she was starting to question her... _feelings _for girls, Brittany was way supportive. She had only known the girl for a little under a year, but they had grown pretty close while dancing together. One night, when they were having a heart to heart about Brooke's sick grandmother, she must have been feeling really close to the Brittany. When Brittany pulled away from their hug, she asked, "Can I kiss you?" Brittany let her, and soon enough they were kissing for quite some time. That wasn't the first girl Brittany had kissed, but it was the first girl she had kissed sober. And she liked it. Well, Brooke was probably the best kisser she had ever kissed, technique wise, but Brittany didn't really feel anything special. Brooke understood that Brittany wasn't into it, but thanked her graciously for giving it a try. Things weren't that awkward afterwards, since Brittany was usually so open to things like that.

That's why this whole thing was weird to Brittany. She had always been so comfortable with things like this. But Santana and her comments had been making her squirm.

"So do you like to draw?" Brittany asked, trying her best to suppress her thoughts for the time being.

"Huh?" Santana asked, confused. "I mean, it's I like to doodle. What do you mean?"

"The notebook. You threw it on the bed, did I interrupt you drawing?"

"Oh," Santana remembered. Now it was her turn to squirm. "Sort of, I mean, I was writing. But I was just writing cause I was bored."

"Sorry," Brittany said.

"No, it's okay," she said. "I'm not bored anymore."

"Good," she smiled. "So you like writing, then? What were you writing about? Sorry, that's too personal. I mean, what do you like to write about?"

"It's okay," Santana giggled. "I was just writing about the lodge so far. I hadn't written about it yet. I write about anything. And everything. Things I see, things I feel. My thoughts. Stories. Anything, really."

"That's awesome. Are you studying writing?"

"Yeah," she smiled. "I'm studying creative writing, actually."

"Kenyon's really big on that, aren't they?" Brittany suddenly remembered.

"Yeah," Santana breathed, her eyebrows knitting together. She was surprised at how much the girl knew.

"Do you want to write novels?"

"That. Or movies or Tv. I'll do anything, really," she shrugged.

"That's awesome," she breathed.

"What are you studying."

"Journalism," Brittany said, not so enthusiastically.

"Do you like it?"

"It's okay," she sighed. She was a little taken aback that the girl actually asked her if she liked it. Most people assumed she did, since that's what she was studying.

"You don't?"

"I do," Brittany shook her head, confused for a moment that she had said the wrong thing.

"You don't," Santana said in disbelief. She was perplexed as to why this girl was trying so hard to convince herself that she liked it. Brittany stared back in the same disbelief. No one had ever called her out like this before. Brittany paused for awhile, contemplating what to say, before Santana spoke up.

"You can talk to me," Santana said. "About anything. I won't tell anyone. You can trust me."

And Brittany did. She trusted her. She wasn't sure why, since she just met this girl, but she did. She wasn't sure why she ditched her longtime friend tonight to ask this girl to get ice cream with her. She wasn't sure why she hadn't stopped thinking about her since she left her this afternoon. And she wasn't sure why she was about to tell her things she hadn't told any of her closest friends. But she was.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

Hey guys! If you wanna check out the song it's called Washing Line by Thommy Wilson. Type in youtube and after the / add this: watch?v=5qiE-05pnEo

I hope you guys still like it! Let me know! Thanks for reading

Tumblr- Slaves4hemo


	5. Chapter 5

"I hate it," Brittany breathed, exhaling what felt like years of built up lies. "So much." Santana looked up at the girl whose face just minutes ago had seemed so happy and carefree. "I don't hate _journalism,_" she tried to correct herself. "I hate that I'm studying it." Santana gave her a perplexed look, not quite sure what the difference was. "I mean, I just hate that I'm _not_ dancing." Santana nodded, understanding the girl's point.

"Did your parents not want you to?" Santana asked softly and slowly, like one wrong word would set off a bomb.

"No," Brittany quickly shook her head. "No." Then she paused for a moment. She normally hated telling people this, her reason for _not_ perusing the dance career everyone had expected her to have. But she realized she wasn't dreading telling Santana. She didn't feel stupid like she normally did. She almost _wanted_ to tell her. "They never really _said_ that," Brittany explained, almost as slowly as Santana. "They just, they love watching me dance. They support it. But I know how much they value education. I've never been the best at school, though, and I always focused most my time on dancing. But I do alright," she shrugged.

"Alright enough to get into Michigan," Santana tried to compliment her, but it didn't help Brittany too much. Brittany was too embarrassed to tell her that both of her parents had attended the school, having plenty of connections to assure Brittany's admission to the university.

"Yeah," Brittany sighed. "Anyway, I mean, I just knew they wanted to make sure I got an education. You should have seen their faces," Brittany says, her voice deflating a little. "They were _so _happy when I told them I was going to apply to Michigan. _So _proud." She almost looked like she was about to cry, and instinctually, Santana reached out and gently placed her hand on the back of Brittany's. "Thanks," she muttered when she saw Santana's sympathetic expression. But Brittany's train of thought was broken. All she could think about was the warmth Santana's hand was bringing to hers.

"So you can't dance at Michigan?" Oh right, Brittany thought, remembering their conversation.

"Um, well by the time I decided to apply, it was too late for auditions. And when I got in, they kept saying their program was full. I can audition second semester if someone drops out, otherwise I have to wait until next year."

"That sucks," Santana told the girl. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," she sighed, looking back at the girl's hand laying on top of hers. Santana noticed the girl staring and slowly removed her hand, wondering if she had left it on too long. She had forgotten it was there. It wasn't even her trying to flirt, she was just trying to comfort the blonde.

A few quiet moments passed, both girls feeling the melancholy air lingering around them from their conversation.

"I have a question," Brittany blurted finally out. As soon as she realized how quickly her words came out, her face began to heat up. "Never-never mind," she said slower. Santana could tell whatever she was thinking about was making Brittany really nervous.

"No," Santana said suddenly curious. "Ask me anything." Brittany sighed, almost unable to keep it in. "What's it like," Brittany started, mixing her ice cream around with her spoon. "What's it like to date a girl?"

Santana tried not to chuckle at how cute Brittany was right then, and she gave the girl, who was too embarrassed to look at her, a small smile.

"No," Brittany stopped. "I didn't mean it like that, I just, I mean, was it hard to tell your parents? You said that joke, you know, about being trapped in the closet?"

But that was what Brittany was wondering. She _did_ want to know what it was like to date a girl. She always had. But none of the girls she knew had ever dated a girl. But she did also want to know about Santana, and she knew this was a more appropriate question. "We don't have to talk about it though, if you don't want."

"That's okay," Santana let out a breathy laugh. "They were really supportive, both my parents," Santana explained. "I mean, they aren't together, but they're still pretty much friends. And so I was able to tell them at the same time. They didn't really react that much, didn't seem like much of a surprise," she laughed again, thinking about her parents nonchalant expressions. "I mean, my Dad was a little more surprised, but only because I think he hadn't thought about me dating _anyone_ yet, but he was really great about it."

"How old were you?" Brittany asked.

"Uh fourteen, almost fifteen, I think."

"Woah, that's pretty young," she said. "I mean, most of my friends I know didn't come out until they were sixteen at least. That's awesome, though."

"You have a lot of gay friends?" Santana smirked.

"Dancer, remember?" Brittany smiled.

"Oh, yeah," she laughed. "Well I'm sure most of their parents had a hunch," she joked. Brittany laughed and nodded in agreement. She was right. Brittany only knew of one guy she ever had to "guess" on, the rest she knew from the moment she met them. They were all pretty open with her, too.

"So you figured it out pretty early on then? That you liked girls?"

"I don't remember every liking boys," Santana admitted as she took another spoonful of her ice cream. "The hard part wasn't figuring it out. I just had to accept it and myself. I always knew I was different," she shrugged. "I mean, when all my friends had crushes on 'N Sync or Aaron Carter in second grade, I was busy admiring Britney Spears and her rockin' bod." Brittany giggled along with Santana but quickly felt awful for what the girl had to go through. She couldn't imagine feeling so conflicted at seven years old.

"That must have sucked," she said.

"Yeah," she sighed. "But I feel lucky that I figured it so early. I mean, I know what I like and I know who I am. Most people are confused for some duration of time. And some people never figure it out," she shrugged. The words hit Brittany hard. That's exactly how she was feeling right then: confused. And the beautiful girl sitting across from her sure wasn't helping.

"Yeah," Brittany sighed.

"By the way, in case you _were _wondering," Santana smirked, "being with a girl is incredible." Brittany felt herself begin to flush. "Let me know if you ever want to find out for yourself," Santana added, watching as the blonde's face turned ashen.

Brittany felt her heart stop. That was _definitely_ Santana flirting, wasn't it? For a moment, Brittany wished she had thought quick enough to flirt back, but the direct comment had taken her too off guard. She couldn't think of anything but what the girl had said. She tried to get out another sentence, but all she could think about was _being_ with the girl. In all honestly, it freaked her out. Her mind had never been this quick to go to sexual thoughts.

Santana swore she could hear the words running through Brittany's head. She didn't want to make the girl uncomfortable, but she could tell that part of the girl _genuinely_ wanted to find out what it was like.

"Are you, um, done?" Brittany asked, looking down at Santana's almost empty bowl.

"Yeah," Santana answered, realizing the girl was ready to head back.

"Okay. Maybe I- maybe we should head back?" Santana wasn't sure if she had crossed a line or something, but the way Brittany stood waiting for her with a sweet expression told her she hadn't. The girl was probably just a little flustered. At least, that's what Santana hoped.

When they parted on the elevator, Brittany turned towards Santana before stepping off.

"Thanks for coming with me tonight," she smiled, calmer now than she had been downstairs. "I had a lot of fun. It was nice to talk to someone," she said sincerely.

"Yeah," Santana agreed. "You too."

"Cool," Brittany smiled, clearly glad that the girl felt the same way. "See you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow," Santana repeated, relieved and thrilled that the girl still wanted to see her again.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

Brittany stared at the hotel room phone resting in her hand.

_423. 423._ That's all she had to hit. Three numbers. _423_.

"Brit, you coming down for breakfast?" Her Dad called through the barely cracked open door that lead to their kitchen and living room. The good thing about having a suite was how much space they had, but Brittany still didn't have nearly as much privacy as Santana.

"Yeah," Brittany called back, hanging the phone back up. Santana probably wouldn't want to go snowboarding with them anyway. She told Sam she had only skied a few times, she probably wasn't into it that much. Especially with someone who had acted so awkward last night. Brittany couldn't believe how she had ended their perfect conversation. It felt so good to talk to Santana. She intrigued Brittany. A lot. And now Brittany felt like she had ruined it. Whatever _it_ was.

When Brittany got downstairs, she was relieved to see Sam smiling at her. Part of her was worried he was going to be upset with her for bailing last night.

"Hey," he smiled as she slid into the seat next to him. "Morning."

"Good morning," she smiled, taking a sip of the orange juice he had ordered for her.

"You ready to go boarding?" He asked, failing to contain the excitement in his voice.

"Yeah," she smiled.

"I invited Alex, too, I hope you don't mind. He's never been boarding."

"No, that's awesome!" Brittany smiled. She loved his little brother, and she always thought watching little kids snowboard was the cutest. It also meant they wouldn't be totally alone.

"Yeah, he's really excited." Brittany looked over to where Sam's eyes were watching his little brother. Alex, only seven years old, was standing his chair, climbing on top of his mom.

"Do you have your own board, or are you gonna rent?" He asked.

"I brought mine," she told him.

"Same, but we gotta rent for Alex." Brittany nodded and flipped through the menu.

"I'm starving," she breathed.

"Get the buffet," Sam told her. "I'm just waiting for an omelet, they told me they'd bring it out to me."

"Oh, yeah," Brittany stood up, almost forgetting there was a buffet. Her mind must have really been all over the place, she thought. Their breakfast buffet was her favorite.

"I think I'm going to go to this spinning class," Santana's Dad said, pointing to the brochure he hadn't put down since they got there.

"You should," she said, stepping off the elevator. "Work on getting your cholesterol down." Her father's cholesterol had always been a little high, no matter how healthy he ate. Working out only helped a little, but it still did something.

"Yeah, yeah," he rolled his eyes. That's where Santana got it from.

They walked through the lobby into the breakfast buffet, heading for the only open table in the back corner.

"Santana!" She heard a familiar voice call. "Hey!" She heard as she slowed her legs to a stop.

"I'm gonna go grab the table," her father whispered, giving her her space with her friend.

"Oh, hey Sam," she smiled, looking around for the other blonde.

"How are you?" He asked, genuinely as always.

"Good, you?"

"Good, good. Brittany's just getting some breakfast," he said, almost reading her mind. She smiled in recognition. She was a little anxious to see the girl. Last night, as she was writing, she kept playing over how Brittany had ended the night. The more and more she replayed it in her mind, the more she altered what the blonde had really said. Eventually, trying to not drive herself crazy, she slipped her journal into the bedside drawer and went to sleep.

"Hey, we're going snowboarding today if you wanna come," Sam offered.

"Oh, I don't know-"

"Come on, it'll be fun! I'm bringing my little brother along so if you come you'll even out the numbers, you know, in case any ski lifts are only for two people."

"I've never-"

"Yeah," he said without letting her finish. "I know, but my little brother's never snowboarded either. So we'll be on a beginners hill today teaching him. So we can teach you, too! It'll be awesome!"

Santana looked at the boy who was almost begging her to come along.

"Plus, he's only seven, it's not like we'll be out there all day," Sam laughed. Just as Santana was about to agree, Brittany popped into the conversation.

"Hey," she said, smiling hesitantly. Brittany was a little surprised to see Santana and Sam talking. Her stomach turned a little, seeing Santana for the first time since last night.

"Hey," Santana smiled back. For the first time, Santana was genuinely glad Sam was there to talk. If he hadn't spoken up right away, she felt like there might have been an awkward pause.

"I invited Santana to come snowboarding with us. Tell her to come!" He urged Brittany, tugging at the bottom of her t-shirt.

"Yeah," Brittany said, trying not to sound like this was exactly what she had been hoping for all night.

"Yeah?" Santana asked, trying to seem unsure.

"Yeah, come! It'll be fun, I promise."

"Alright, I'll come."

"Yes!" Sam chanted, making both the girls laugh.

"Meet us down here in an hour?" He said.

"Sounds good," she nodded.

"Do you have snow pants?" Brittany asked.

"Yeah, my Dad made me bring them."

"Good," she smiled. As soon as Santana left, she wanted to thank Sam for inviting the girl, but she didn't want to seem weird. Instead, she scarfed down her breakfast and ran upstairs to pick out her cutest hat.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

Santana couldn't keep her eyes away from Brittany's. The girl's blue beanie only added to the beauty of her eyes.

"So is that good then?" Brittany asked for the third time. "Santana," she said a little louder, tugging on her arm a little, finally grabbing the girl's attention. She wasn't sure why she hadn't answered her yet, she was looking right at her.

"What? Sorry," Santana said. She should have been embarrassed, but she wasn't. Her eyes were incredible.

"Is that board okay?" She asked, pointing to the red snowboard the worker was trying to grab from the shelf.

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Alright, tell them your shoe size and they'll give you boots. I'll grab your board. Meet me over at that bench when you get them, okay?"

"Alright," Santana nodded. She watched Brittany walk away, her blonde hair falling out the bottom of her beanie. Even in her white winter coat and baggy gray snow pants, the girl's figure looked unreal. She looked so cute in winter clothes, Santana noticed.

After she grabbed her boots, she headed over to the bench. Sam was putting on Alex's tiny boots so Brittany offered to help Santana.

"They feel so weird," Santana said as she slipped her foot inside.

"Wait until you stand up," Brittany laughed. She was right. Walking with the boots on felt so strange. Santana had to exaggerate her leg movements so she wouldn't trip. When they got out onto the snow, Brittany put Santana's board down for her.

"What foot do you lead with?" She asked.

"Huh?"

"On the board, what foot do you lead with?"

"I don't know," Santana shrugged. "I've never done this, remember?"

"You've never skateboarded?"

"No, have you?"

"Yes, turn around," Brittany smiled, enjoying their little banter. She was glad things felt normal again.

Santana turned around and, as soon as her feet were planted, Brittany gave her a shove forward.

"Hey!" Santana squealed, her right foot catching her fall.

"Sorry," Brittany laughed, "You lead with your right foot."

"What?"

"That's what you caught yourself with, you lead with your right foot. You're goofy-footed. I couldn't tell you what I was doing or you'd think about it and then you might not have used your right foot."

"I'm _what_-footed?" Santana asked. She had no clue what the girl was saying, but she sure as hell looked cute trying to explain it.

"Goofy-footed," Brittany laughed, shaking her head. "Here, lean on my shoulders." She grabbed Santana's arms and put them on her shoulders. Now put your right foot in that binding." Santana didn't know exactly what she was saying, but she put her right foot towards the front of the board. Brittany slowly leaned down, Santana losing her grip on the girl. Brittany moved Santana's foot around a little, snapped some things, and soon enough Santana's foot was attached to the board. In one swift motion, Brittany attached her own board.

"That was fast," Santana laughed. Brittany smiled back.

"You guys ready?" Sam asked as he stood up from tightening his brother's binding.

"Yup!" Brittany smiled.

"Okay," Sam said. "The top of the bunny hill is right over there, so we don't have to take the chairlift yet. But we do have to skate there."

"What?" Alex asked, just as confused as Santana.

"Like this," Sam said, using his free back foot to push him and his board forward. "Like skateboarding, buddy," he told Alex. Alex nodded and was off, just like his brother.

"Get it?" Brittany asked.

"Do you guys all lead with your left foot?" Santana noticed.

"Yup," Brittany smiled. "Come on, just push." Brittany pushed off once and turned towards Santana, encouraging her to join. Santana almost fell when she tried to push off, but after she regained her balance, it became a lot easier.

"There you go!" Brittany cheered. It only took about a minute to get to the top of the hill, but Santana's legs were already tired.

"Alright," Brittany said, falling to her ass. "Sit down," she looked at Santana, patting the ground next to her. Santana skated closer and fell down beside her.

"Sit like me," she said, and Santana mocked her position. She made her board horizontal to the mountain and followed Brittany's instruction to latch her other foot into the binding. Brittany gave her some instructions on how to go super slow down the mountain, how to turn, and how to stop. By the time Santana was ready to stand, Sam was helping Alex down the mountain.

"Jeez," Santana murmured, watching Alex hop right into it.

"You'll get it," Brittany giggled as Santana made it onto her feet.

"Hold on," Santana said. She flipped her head down so her hair fell in her face and she quickly pulled it up into a ponytail. She reached into her pocket and pulled out black ear-wrap headband.

"Sorry, my ears were cold," she said. Brittany smiled at the girl a little longer than she usually did.

"What?" Santana asked. Brittany thought about saying "nothing" and ignoring her urge to tell the girl what she was thinking, but she didn't.

"You look really cute in that," she said honestly. Brittany had yet to see Santana's hair up, and now Brittany wasn't sure which one she liked better.

Santana felt her stomach flip a little. Brittany was flirting back, right? Maybe she was just giving a compliment, but it was still better than nothing.

"Thanks," Santana smiled. "You don't look so bad yourself," she said with a wink. She loved over-flirting. "Alright, how do I do this thing?" Santana tried to apply pressure to her right foot, but as soon as she started moving, she got off balance and fell backwards onto her hands. It happened a few times before Brittany finally grabbed her hands to help her up.

"Come here," she sighed. Brittany leaned down to latch her foot into her boot, something she was waiting to do until her friend had started down the hill. "I'll go down with you." Since Brittany wasn't goofy-footed and led with her left foot, the girls could face each other while both still making it down the hill. "Give me your hands," she said. Santana quickly obliged. "Alright, lean forward," she said. Soon enough, after listening to all of Brittany's instructions, Santana was gliding down the hill, hand in hand with Brittany.

When they made it all the way down, Santana finished squealing and let out a shaky breath. Brittany quickly bent down and unlatched both of their back foots before they got off balanced and fell.

"I did it! We did it! I made it!" Santana cried in disbelief.

"You did it!" Brittany giggled, and, just as excited as Santana, pulled the girl into a hug. Santana fell into the girls arms, her stomach tying into a knot.

She wasn't the only one. Brittany pulled away, almost too quickly, shocked at how much she liked holding the girl. As soon as she pulled away, though, she regretted it.

"You girls coming?" Sam called from the bottom of the chair lift.

"Yeah!" Brittany quickly called back. "Let's go."

Two hours later, Santana had worn out the bunny hill. She'd admit it, she played herself down a little longer than she had to, allowing herself the opportunity to hold Brittany's hands as long as possible.

"You wanna try a real mountain?" Brittany asked. "Sam's gonna take Alex in since he thinks it's gonna be too big for him, but he said we could get one ride in."

"You think I can?"

"It's not much harder than this, you'll be fine," Brittany said. "Plus, if you need to, I can always help you down again," she offered with a smile. Brittany had enjoyed holding Santana's hands, even if it wasn't in the conventional way.

"Good," she smiled. The girls skated towards the real mountain.

"Oh no," Santana said when the chairlift came into view. "_Way_ too high," she shook her head.

"What?" Brittany asked.

"No, I can't go on that thing."

"It's the same thing we were just on," Brittany explained.

"That one didn't go this high!" She cried, pointing towards the top of the mountain.

"Come on," Brittany pouted. "It won't be that bad. Just don't look down. I'll keep you busy. You won't even realize we're on a chairlift." Santana knew Brittany didn't mean what she _hoped_ she meant, but the offer still enticed her.

She sighed. "Alright."

"Yes!" Brittany squealed. "Let's go." The skated onto the chairlift and as soon as the bench hit Santana's ass, she gasped for air.

"It's okay," Brittany cooed. "It's okay."

Santana looked up, trying not to remember where she was.

"How does this _not _freak you out?" Santana asked Brittany who was busy looking down at the skiiers flying down the mountain.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I like heights. And it's really pretty." Brittany looked over at the girl who seemed to be shaking.

"Hey, look at me," she said. "Look at me. It's only a few minutes, alright?" Santana shook her head a few times at the blonde. "Here, give me your hand," Brittany said, but she reached out for it anyway, not giving the girl much of a choice. Brittany took Santana's hand in between her two, already missing their contact from earlier, and began rubbing her thumb over the back of it. Brittany liked Santana's warmth. It's like her skin was magical, always radiating the perfect temperature.

Santana wasn't sure if Brittany's hand calmed her down or not. She was pretty sure it was the thing that was making her heart race. Nonetheless, she liked it. A lot.

"By the way," Brittany said softly, looking down at their hands. "I'm sorry for, uh, last night," she said, not sure if she should further explain what she meant. "I didn't mean to end it like that, I just, I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Santana said. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have said that-"

"No," Brittany quickly stopped her. She _liked _what Santana had said. She had thought about it all night. She just didn't know how to say that. "I didn't mean to react like that I just, I don't know what happened."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Santana smiled. Brittany liked how easy it was. Santana seemed to forgive her just like that. The whole thing was just forgotten.

Brittany looked back out to the mountain and the two fell quiet.

"You're not doing a great job of distracting me," Santana joked.

"Oh, sorry!" Brittany quickly turn Santana who was smiling at the girl. Truth was, having her hand in Brittany's was distracting her enough. More than enough, actually. But she still felt like teasing the girl a little.

"So do you like snowboarding?" She asked and was immediately embarrassed for thinking of such a lame question.

"Your eyes are so beautiful," Santana breathed, unable to keep it in any longer.

"Oh, thanks," Brittany blushed. She felt her insides turn.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-" Santana said, worried she had crossed a similar line.

"No," Brittany said, squeezing her hand. "It's okay, I promise." Santana nodded, wondering what Brittany was thinking. She was a lot harder to read than she had expected.

"Can I ask you something?" Santana asked, unable to go this long without an answer. Brittany nodded. "I'm gonna be real straight up with you, okay? And, I don't want you to feel like you have to answer it or answer it a certain way. It's just a question."

"Go ahead," Brittany asked, a little nervous. Santana's heart was racing. She wondered if Brittany could feel her pulse in her hand, cause Santana sure as hell could.

"Hypothetically," Santana started slowly, "do you think it would ever be possible for you to maybe have feelings for someone who wasn't a guy?"

"You mean like a girl?" Brittany asked. For the first time in one of their conversations, neither of them was breaking eye contact.

"Yeah, I guess I mean a girl," Santana breathed. "I just mean, sometimes people know they would never like a girl, but some people aren't so certain. You don't have to answer if you-"

"Yeah," Brittany cut her off in a soft voice. She felt her lip trembling a little and she prayed that Santana couldn't see it. "I think it's definitely possible." A current of chills swept through Santana's body.

"Yeah?" Santana asked, trying hard not to make the question seem too personal.

"Yeah," Brittany confirmed, a hint of a smile creeping onto her lips.

"Oh," Brittany quickly said, unlocking their eyes. They were about to get off the chairlift. Brittany unlatched her hand from Santana's and lifted up their lap bar.

"You ready?" Brittany asked, already noticing how cold her hand felt without Santana's.

"Yup," Santana said, gliding off the chairlift, the feeling of which she had loved this morning. It wasn't as special this time, though, since her talk with Brittany already made her feel like she was floating.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

**Hey guys! Thanks for reading! I hope you're still enjoying it! Good stuff coming up soon! **

**Let me know what you think! Xoxo**

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	6. Chapter 6

"How was it?" Santana's Dad asked when she opened up her door for him. Her body was wrapped tightly in a towel, still drying off water from her shower.

"Really fun," Santana told him, sitting down on her still-too-big bed. Her father followed her in, closing the door behind him.

"They seem like good kids," he said of Brittany and Sam. Santana agreed. Most of her friends she'd known forever, and she couldn't find _half _as much goodness in them as she did in Brittany. Sam, too, for that matter. Brittany had this spirit about her that made Santana sure that everyone who met the girl immediately knew she was genuine.

"How was cycling?" Santana asked, starting to wonder what was so important for him to tell her that it made him insist on talking to his daughter in a towel. She hoped he had some sort of plans for them, since Brittany had a family dinner tonight. Well not just family, Sam's family, too, but Santana tried not to think about that.

"Good," he told her. "Great actually." Santana noticed his goofy smile and called him out on it.

"What are you so happy about?"

"Well, actually, that's what I came here to tell you." His face started to light up even more. "Actually, I met this woman in the cycling class and-"

"Papá!" Santana shouted, her stomach flipping all over "Why didn't you say that earlier?" Her Dad hadn't mentioned a woman since his last girlfriend, the only woman he tried seriously dating after the divorce. Even though she was around for a year or so, Santana knew it wasn't anything close to what he had felt for Santana's mother. Every other date, Antony avoided mentioning to his daughter, since he knew they weren't going to be around long.

"You just got back!" he defended. "Anyway, we spent most of the day together-"

"What's her name?" Santana asked.

"Christine," he told her.

"Where did you meet her?"

"In cycling," he said like he had already told her five times. "We ended up talking most of the class, and after class, _she_ asked _me_ if I wanted to grab some coffee!" His voice was getting higher and higher.

"That's awesome," Santana smiled, happy for her Dad.

"We ended up talking all afternoon. And when she heard it was only you and me here, she invited us out with her family tonight."

"Wait, what?" Santana asked confused. "She has a _family_?"

"No, no," he laughed. "She's single, very much single. But she's here with her best friend's family. They invited her, since she's single and lives alone. She acted like they were family, though, so they must be close. She referred to their children as her niece and nephew."

"Oh," Santana said, letting the description set in. Something about it seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"So will you go?" Her father asked slowly. "Please," he pleaded. "It would mean a lot to me."

"Yeah, of course," she shrugged. She didn't exactly have anything better to do, anyway.

"Great, thank you! Thirty minutes. I'll grab you and we'll head downstairs."

"Alright," Santana told him, glad he was finally exiting her room. She was starting to get a little cold.

Santana got dressed, putting on a pair of dark jeans and a long grey sweater, complete with her black boots. She hoped whoever Christine's niece and nephew were, if they were her age, were cool.

"Ready?" Her Dad called as he knocked on her door. Santana pulled her lightly curled hair in front of her shoulders before meeting her Dad at the door.

"You look handsome," she smiled.

"Thank you," she said, straightening out his belt and making sure all his buttons where buttoned in the right spot. "Beautiful as always," he said looking over his daughter.

"You'll behave, right?" He joked as they made their way down a hallway Santana had yet to see.

"Shut up," she rolled her eyes with a smile. "Damn," she breathed, looking at the steakhouse's fancy sign. It looked a lot nicer than she had expected. When they stepped inside, though, she was relieved to see the other customers and waiters dressed down as well.

"Over there," her father pointed as a strikingly pretty older blonde woman stood from a large table in the center of the room. Santana didn't notice the woman's pretty smile or sea green eyes because her eyes were fixated on the other end of the table. Sam's eyes locked onto Santana and he smiled at the girl. This time, though, she noticed, he was a little more hesitant than before. Santana's face lit up when she saw the familiar blonde hair across from Sam turn towards her.

"Santana!" Brittany said, clearly shocked to see her. Santana noticed immediately how pretty the girl looked. Her makeup, giving her redder cheeks, pinker lips, and bluer eyes, all framed by her perfectly straightened hair was almost too much. "What are you doing here?" She smiled.

"My Dad," Santana nodded, trying to explain.

"Oh! My Aunt Christine! No way!" Brittany laughed, putting two and two together.

"Santana," her Dad said, grabbing her attention again. "This is Christine," he said, and the blonde reached her hand out toward Santana's. She shook the woman's hand and gave her a soft smile.

"Nice to meet you," she smiled.

"You too! I've heard quite a lot about you. It's nice to put a face to a name. You're beautiful, by the way."

"Oh thank you," Santana smiled, not sure if it would be weird if she told the blonde that she was too.

"This is my best friend, Samantha," She smiled, pointing towards Brittany's mother. The woman, also beautiful and blonde, smiled warmly at Santana and her father. "So nice to meet you." Since the restaurant was crowded, it was hard for them to stand up to greet Antony and Santana. "This is Robert, her husband," Christine explained, pointing to the handsome man Santana already recognized. "How's it going?" He asked Antony. "Santana, right?" He looked at the girl. Santana shook her head, shocked that he was calling her by her name. "Ah, how was snowboarding?" He asked. "Thanks for keeping Brit company," he smiled.

"It was awesome," she told him, not surprised by how friendly he was. He was Brittany's father, after all.

"These are the Evans," Christine said. "Kathy and Mark. They're friends with the Pierces," she explained. "This is Antony and his daughter Santana." Everyone waved and Brittany stood up, calling Santana down to the other end of the table. She pulled out the empty chair next to her at the end. She watched as her father settled in at the far end of the table with the adults before she walked past Sam and Brittany's younger siblings and reached Sam and Brittany. The set up basically gave Sam and Brittany alone time, almost like a real date. Maybe that's why Sam hadn't been as enthusiastic to see Santana as usually was.

"Hey," Brittany smiled, thrilled to see the girl. Santana settled into the seat and smiled back.

"What's up?" She said. "Hey Sam."

"Hey," he gave her a half smile. Brittany didn't even notice.

"You look nice," she smiled, noticing Santana's curled hair.

"Yeah, you too," Santana told her, unable to get out just _how_ nice Brittany looked. As she looked down, she realized she was wearing black leggings. She bet Brittany looked great in them. "Oh, I like your sweater," she told her. The baggy, white sweater had tiny specs of rainbow colors throughout the knitting.

"Oh thanks!" she smiled. "Feel it!" Santana laughed at the blonde's excitement. Brittany slid her hand into the arm of her sweater and brought it up to Santana's cheek, gently rubbing the material against the girl's face.

"Woah," Santana smiled. "It's so soft!"

"I know!" Brittany agreed, but she didn't take her hand off the girl's cheek for another few seconds. She liked when she got to touch the girl. Something about it was exciting to her.

"So how was your first day snowboarding?" Sam asked Santana, clearly trying to open up the conversation.

"A lot more fun than I expected," she admitted. "My legs are really sore, though."

"Yeah, that happens," he laughed.

"Mine too," Brittany said. "I guess 'cause I haven't been out in awhile. My shoulder kind of hurts, too. Not sure how that happened."

"You should go in the hot tub, later, that helps," Sam suggested. "We can go after dinner," he smiled.

"Well I wanted to watch some of that movie," Brittany pouted.

"What movie?" Santana asked.

"Up," she smiled.

"That Disney movie?" Brittany was suddenly a little worried wanting to see that movie made her seem uncool.

"Is that what it is?" Brittany asked, trying to act like she hadn't known.

"Yeah, it's really good," Santana told her.

"Oh," Brittany sighed, feeling stupid for worrying. Santana didn't seem like one to judge her, anyway. Still, the girl seemed _so _cool. _Way_ cooler than Brittany. It almost made Brittany feel a little insecure. But then Santana would say something else to make her feel totally at ease.

"We should go," Santana suggested.

"We could always go in the hot tub later," Sam said.

"Yeah!" Brittany smiled. "Can we do that?"

"Fine with me," Sam shook his head. "If the waiter comes, can you get me the filet? I gotta run to the bathroom."

"Sure," Brittany told him. "Medium?"

"Yeah, thanks," he smiled, glad Brittany hadn't forgotten how he liked his steak cooked.

"I'm so glad you came," Brittany smiled, turning towards Santana.

"_Wanky_," Santana smirked, finally feeling comfortable enough with the girl to use her favorite line.

"Huh?" Brittany looked at the girl.

"You know, it's kind of like-" Santana tried to think of how to explain it. She was used to people knowing what it meant. "It's kind of like a _that's what she said _joke."

"Ohhh," Brittany sang. "Ha," she laughed, remembering what she had said. "I get it. Funny." Brittany appreciated how comfortable Santana seemed to be with all aspects of her sexuality.

"But really, I'm glad you're here," she said, this time the smile not as big on her lips.

"What's wrong?" Santana asked.

"Nothing," Brittany shook her head. She paused for a minute before she let it slip out. "It's just, I'm really confused with my feelings right now," Brittany confessed. She didn't want _too_ much to slip out, but she needed to tell someone. "Sam kind of hinted at getting back together, I mean, he didn't directly say it, but he hinted at it. And he was trying to play footsie with me a little before you got here. And part of me wants to figure us out, I want to work it out, but I- I don't know, I don't want either of us to get hurt. And I don't want our friendship to suffer, either."

"Have you talked to him about how you're feeling?"

"Not yet," Brittany said "partly because I'm just not sure. I'm not really sure what I want."

"Well you could always tell him that," Santana shrugged. She hated the stressed look on Brittany's face.

"Yeah, maybe. I'm just glad you're here," Brittany confessed. "I can only stop thinking about it all when I'm with you." Santana felt her stomach pulse.

"Really?" Santana breathed. Brittany felt like maybe she had said too much, but she didn't really care. She nodded.

"Then I'll just have to hang around you a lot."

"Sounds good to me," Brittany smiled. "So, are you really that sore?"

"_So_ sore," Santana laughed. "I can't even imagine what I'm gonna feel like in the morning. My thighs, my ass. I feel like I've never used half of these muscles in my life." Brittany laughed.

"What hurts the worst?" she asked.

"Right here," Santana said boldly, reaching her hand under the table and gently placing it on the middle of Brittany's thigh. Brittany's body jolted a little, first from surprise, then from having Santana's hand there. Brittany swallowed, her body frozen.

"But I think the hot tub will help," Santana said, slowly dragging her hand off of Brittany's leg. Brittany looked completely shocked so Santana thought it was best to take her hand off the girl. But Brittany liked it. Much better than footsie.

"My legs hurt too," Brittany said. Santana looked at her, her eyebrow risen a little. Brittany reached under the table and, not feeling bold enough to touch Santana's leg, grabbed her hand. She brought her hand onto her lap and placed it back on her thigh. "Right here," she whispered. For one of the first times, Brittany made Santana's heart speed up. Brittany noticed Santana's face getting the slightest bit red, and she loved that she was the one making the girl blush this time, instead of the other way around. Santana let her hand spread out, her fingers falling on the inside of Brittany's thigh.

"Does this feel better?" Santana asked, giving Brittany's leg the tiniest squeeze.

"A little," Brittany smiled, not wanting Santana to break contact. Her leggings were so thin it felt like Santana's hand was directly on her skin. She could feel every slight movement the girl made.

"Are you tight?" Santana asked.

"Wanky," Brittany laughed.

"Ha _ha_," Santana rolled her eyes. "I meant are your muscles tight. Touché, though."

"A little," Brittany said, still laughing. Santana gave the girl's leg a playful squeeze, hard enough to elicit a small "ow!" from Brittany. It didn't stop her laughing, though.

"What's so funny?" Sam asked, sliding into his chair.

"Nothing," Brittany panicked.

"Did the waiter come around yet?" Sam asked, looking back at the menu.

"No, not yet," Santana told him calmly, not taking her hand off the girl's leg.

"Good, I don't think I want the filet anymore." As Sam looked through them menu again, Santana began softly massaging Brittany's thigh. Brittany felt heat run through her with every touch. The girl's hands felt like fire.

Dinner passed, Sam telling stories about Alex on the slopes. But Brittany didn't hear one of them. She was so concentrated on Santana's touch, her hand sliding up further and further until the food finally came out. Brittany didn't want the food, though. She wanted Santana's nails dragging against her leg, her fingers gently digging into her skin.

Santana couldn't believe that that was happening. Brittany had _invited_ her to touch her like that. It wasn't just in Santana's imagination. She'd touched lots of girls like this, but they were usually under different circumstances- without pants and with kissing. It only made Santana think about kissing the blonde and it made her sweat. Everything about her, from her blood to her breath, felt hot.

"Shoot," Brittany said as she finished her steak, finally coming back to reality. "The movie starts in ten."

"Hey Dad," Sam looked over his little brother and sister who were coloring in a book to get his Dad's attention. "Do you mind if we head out a little early to catch the movie?"

"Only if you take the munchkins with you," he said.

"Deal," Sam agreed, standing from the table. His little brother and sister jumped up, as did Lincoln. Brittany and Santana followed.

When they made it to the movie room, which Santana was surprised to learn was actually exactly like a movie theater, the group made their way to the back corner, the only opening with enough seats in a row for them all. Brittany sat in between Sam and Santana, and the three siblings sat on the other side of Sam.

Once the movie started and the lights dimmed, Brittany's eyes kept wandering over to Santana's lap. She watched her hand and she watched her legs. She wasn't sure what she wanted. She wanted the girl's hand back on her, but she also wanted her hand on Santana. It wasn't until she felt Sam's arm lightly expand on the back of her chair that she was able to take her eyes off the girl. She looked over at him. He was still staring at the screen, both arms stretched out on either side of him. It was hard for Brittany to tell if he was trying to make a move or not. Sam always had trouble sitting still. Even when he sat alone on a couch, he outstretched his arms as if he was putting his arms around girl's on either side of him. Still, it made Brittany's mind start going. Santana looked over and noticed from the girl's expression.

"You good?" Santana whispered in her ear, very aware of Sam's arm behind the girl. Brittany looked over at Santana. Without thinking too hard, she reached her hand over and placed it on the girl's lap. Santana took it in her hand, just like Brittany had hoped, and smiled at the girl. Brittany noticeably relaxed as Santana's fingers tickled up and down her hand. Brittany was hoping Santana's touch would ease her mind, and she was right.

Eventually, Santana rolled the girl's sleeve up and let her nails drag up and down her arm. Santana used to love it when her ex-girlfriend did it to her, and by the smile on Brittany's face, it seemed like she loved it too. Brittany loved it so much, that when Sam's arm slid off the chair and onto her shoulders, Brittany's mind didn't wander one bit. She was perfectly content, what with the mix of Santana tickling her arm and the Disney movie playing in front of them. Plus, it wasn't like she didn't like cuddling with Sam. Brittany loved cuddling, more than anything. She just didn't want their cuddles to have different meanings for each other. She wasn't really thinking about it right then, though, she was focused on what was happening with Santana.

As soon as the lights came on, though, Brittany's arm instinctually snapped back onto her lap. When she looked over at Santana, almost apologetically, she could see the forgiving, but hurt look on the girl's face. Santana understood, though. She did. Brittany was probably confused. And even if she wasn't, it would still have been a little weird for Sam to see, she guessed. Santana knew they were in a weird state right then. Plus, if this was Brittany's first time flirting like this with a girl, she wouldn't be that surprised if she had a minor freak out or two.

"You still up for swimming?" Sam asked Brittany as he stood up from his seat. Alex jumped onto his brother's back.

"I wanna go!" Kate called from behind Alex.

"It's kind of late," he told her.

"Just for a little, please?" She pouted.

"Alright, we'll talk to Mom," he smiled, beginning to exit the row.

Brittany turned towards Santana, making Santana gently bump into the girl. "Oh, sorry," she giggled.

"Are you coming to the pool?" Brittany asked hopefully. "There's a big hot tub!"

Santana's eyes fell up and down the girl. "Are you going to be in a bathing suit?" Santana asked the question with an already obvious answer. Still, it made Brittany blush just the way Santana had grown to love. Brittany looked down at her hands, a sheepish grin growing on her lips.

"Yeah," Brittany whispered, unable to get her voice above that embarrassingly low volume.

"Then I'll be there," Santana smirked as Brittany turned back around, racing upstairs to pick out her cutest bikini.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! It means a lot! Let me know what you think.**

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	7. Chapter 7

By the time Santana made it back to her room, she was short of breath and completely flustered. Brittany and her had taken their flirting to a new level. Well, maybe Santana hadn't changed _that_ much, but now Brittany was actually reciprocating. It happened much quicker than Santana had expected, but then again, Santana had been way more flirtatious than usual. Just thinking about secretly keeping her hand on Brittany's thigh under the table made Santana's insides heat up. She couldn't tell if Brittany was actually enjoying it or not, since the girl stayed quiet throughout most of the dinner, but Santana couldn't take her hand off the girl. And then during the movie, when Brittany's arm literally fell onto Santana's lap, the girl couldn't have been happier. It was the first time Santana felt like Brittany was really putting herself out there first.

Now, as she slipped into her simple, black bikini, she couldn't help but be a little anxious. After all that had happened she was, simply put, turned on. She was worried, too. She wasn't sure how much self control she had. A tiny part of her secretly hoped that Brittany's body was nothing special. She knew that if Brittany looked half as hot as Santana had expected, there were no promises that Santana wouldn't make a move. That made the girl extra anxious, since she knew moving too fast could ruin everything.

Santana took one last look at herself in the mirror before throwing on a loose-fitting white tank top and heading downstairs.

It took Santana a little longer to find the particular room Brittany had described to her, since there were multiple pools in the resort. Her eyes bugged a little when she finally stumbled into the correct room. The ceiling was completely made of glass, giving Santana a perfect view of the starry night sky. More impressive, though, was actual size of the hot tub. She could have sworn it was a pool. Maybe it was a little smaller than a pool, but the normal, round hot tub she had expected to see was missing. At the far end of the room, their was a tiny square hot tub with benches on three sides. On the fourth side, though, the one facing Santana, the water flowed into a slightly larger rectangle, water rising to the height of the shallow end in a pool. It wasn't that big, but it was a lot bigger than any hot tub Santana had ever seen.

"Hey!" Sam called from the corner of the room, Alex on his shoulders. Santana had been so distracted by the room to even notice him.

"This is awesome," Santana told him.

"I know," he laughed. "I've never seen a hot tub this big!"

"I wasn't sure if it was a pool," she told him.

"Same," he agreed as Santana began walking over to him in the corner. There were a few lounge chairs lined up and Sam sat down on one.

"Brit just went to get some towels," Sam told her. "She'll be right back." Santana nodded.

"I like your shirt," Kate told Santana, just wanting a reason to talk to the older girl. She'd always wanted an older sister. That's why she'd loved Brittany so much.

"Thank you," Santana smiled at the nine-year-old mini girl version of Sam. "That bathing suit is so cute!" The blonde looked down at her blue and pink tie-died onesie and grinned bashfully.

"Can we go in now?" Alex begged as Sam put him onto his feet.

"Alright, alright," Sam laughed, taking the boys hand in his and walking towards the water. Santana turned to watch as the kid dipped his toe into the water, immediately retracting it with a tiny "Ow!"

"Told you it was hot!" Kate yelled after him, running over to the edge.

"Hey, slow down," Sam told her. She nodded and slowed to a walk. Once she made it to the edge, Kate slowly lowered her body into the water, giggling the entire way in. Santana laughed as the girl tried to sit on the bench, her head submerging. She quickly sat up and adjusted to sitting on her knees. Sam followed his sister into the water and put his arms out for Alex to jump into.

"I got towels!" Brittany called, making everyone in the room turn towards the door.

Santana's mouth hung open as soon as she spotted the blonde in the light pink bandeau and turquoise bottoms. She took one look at her flawless body and shook her head.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," she mumbled just loud enough for her to hear. The girl looked perfect. Better than Santana had even imagined. She had _abs_ for Christ's sake. Her chest, her legs, her stomach. Everything about the girl made Santana's insides twist.

"Hey," Brittany smiled, getting closer Santana. She tossed the towels onto the chair.

"Hey," Santana smiled back. "I like your bathing suit," she told her, not able to untie her tongue quick enough to make a comment about the girl's body.

"Oh, thanks," Brittany smiled again, walking towards the hot tub. "You coming?" She asked Santana as she emerged herself into the water, right next to Sam. Brittany made sure to choose the seat that still gave Santana the option of sitting next to her.

Sam's mind wasn't far off from Santana's. He'd missed that girl. Everything about her. But he hadn't realized how much he'd missed her body until that moment.

Admittedly, Brittany liked his body, too. Who wouldn't, though? It was rock hard. But as Santana slipped out of her tank top, Brittany's mind was _anywhere_ but Sam's body. When Santana turned towards Brittany in the water, she was relieved to see that she wasn't the only one seemingly flustered.

As Santana lowered her body into the hot tub, heat slowly covering her, Brittany tried to keep her eyes from wondering onto the girl next to her. Santana was grateful the jets were on, not because they felt great, but because the bubbles blurred the vision of most of the blonde's body next to her. She couldn't handle looking at that girl, being so close to her, but not being able to act on it.

"Look how long I can hold my breath!" Alex called, grabbing all of their attention before dunking his head under the water for a mere eight seconds.

"Alex," Sam laughed as soon as he was under. When he came up, Sam said, "Hey, don't go under for long, okay? The chemicals are strong. This isn't a pool."

"It looks like a pool," Alex said.

"It doesn't _feel_ like a pool," Kate told him, matter-of-factly. Brittany let out a cute giggle, making Santana laugh too.

"I like your hair," Alex told Santana. Sam pulled his hand up to his face, a little embarrassed by his baby brother.

"Thank you," Santana said in a sweet voice as she tugged gently at her slightly curled hair. "I like yours, too," she smiled. The blonde boy smiled bashfully, covering his hair with his hands. "You would look _super_ cute with a fohawk," she told him. He looked up at her confused, not knowing what a "fohawk" was.

"No, no fohawk," Sam shook his head.

"Come here," Santana waved the boy over with a laugh. The boy swam over, since he was too small to walk, and grabbed Santana's knees with his hands. "Oh, hello," she whispered with a laugh as the boy placed himself right in her lap. Sam and Brittany giggled while Kate watched closely.

"Some hot soccer players wear it like this," Santana told the boy as she wet her hands and began pushing the outsides or his hair upward in the middle of his head.

"I play soccer!" He grinned. Brittany giggled but wondered if Santana actually thought those guys were hot.

"Yeah?" Santana laughed. "Then you'll fit right in!" When Santana finished up his hair, she lifted him onto his feet on the top of the seat. She pointed towards the window straight across from him that, because of the light, was reflective.

"Woah!" He squealed, looking at his new, cool, self in the mirror. "Sam! Look at me!"

"You look awesome, little dude," he smiled. "Who knew fohawks weren't always toolish?" He laughed.

"I love it," Brittany chimed it.

"Thanks, Sana!" Alex said, throwing his tiny arms around Santana's neck. The three laughed at Alex's cute attempt of her name while Kate tugged onto Santana's free arm.

"Can you do me?" The girl asked.

"Wanky," Brittany breathed in Santana's ear. Santana turned to Brittany shocked, biting down on her lip to hide her laughter. But then Brittany's bare leg not-so-innocently brushed up against Santana's, making Santana's muscles contract. She stopped, refocused her attention on Kate, and smiled at the girl.

"I can't give you a fohawk, but I guess I can braid your hair if you want?" Santana offered.

"Yes please!" Kate smiled back.

As Santana began to run her fingers through Kate's hair, Brittany couldn't help but smile. This was a new side to Santana, one Brittany hadn't seen before. She was so sweet with the kids. They were gravitating towards her. It seemed so effortless, too. Brittany realized this was just one side to Santana she hadn't seen yet, but she knew it was only one of many. She wanted to know more sides of the girl, sides not many people got to see. Not just the confident, bold Santana she's gotten to know this past week, but the vulnerable side. The goofy side. The shy side. The passionate side. The running-on-three-hours-of-sleep side. The dancing side. The laughing-so-hard-she-cries side. The crying-so-hard-she-laughs side. She wanted to see all of them. Santana seemed like a never ending mystery. Every time you think you're about to solve the mystery, there's a new lead or piece of evidence that completely destroys your perception.

"Brit," Sam stopped her train of thought. "You're shoulder is all red." Brittany looked down at her left shoulder, red and slightly swollen.

"Yeah," she shrugged, but as soon as she did she let out a little wince.

"You alright?" He asked, concerned. Brittany's face showed the answer, though.

"I don't know why it hurts so bad. I don't remember falling or anything," she told him.

"Is it the bone? Or the muscle?"

"It's not the bone," she shook her head.

"Here, come here," he said, placing his hands on her back. Brittany, in considerable pain, obliged and stood up in front of him. Sam softly started massaging Brittany shoulders, careful not to put too much pressure on her strained muscle.

"Is that alright?" He asked.

"Yeah," she hummed, her eyes closed. Whatever he was doing felt so good on her shoulder that she forgot everything else going on around her, including the girl in the bikini next to her.

Santana watched Sam put his hands on Brittany's back as she finished up Kate's braid. Sam looked innocent, honestly just trying to help his friend with a sore muscle. Still, Santana knew he wasn't _not_ enjoying this, and by the look on the girl's face, it didn't look like she wasn't either.

"All done," Santana told Kate as the girl hopped up to look in the reflective window. The girl smiled at herself. "Do you like it?" Santana asked. The girl nodded quickly a few times, adding "Thank you," before she swam back over across from Santana.

"Oh!" Brittany smiled, opening her eyes. "You look so pretty!" She smiled at Kate.

"Thanks" she mumbled.

"Can I go out there?" Alex asked, pointing towards the larger part of the hot tub.

"For a minute," Sam told his brother. "It's late, I told Mom I'd have you two upstairs by now. Go out for a quick second, then we have to head back up."

Santana's face lit up at the thought of being alone with Brittany.

"Thanks for being so nice with them," Sam told Santana, still massaging Brittany's shoulders. He took his hand off her right shoulder so he could focus both hands on her painful left shoulder.

"Ow," Brittany whispered.

"Sorry!" He quickly apologized, realizing he put too much pressure on.

"It's alright," she said, grateful that he was at least trying to help. "Oh!" Brittany quickly remembered. "I heard the club is open tomorrow night, or maybe it was the night after that. But it's open soon, so you guys can see it!"

"Sweet!" Sam grinned. Santana, again, looked at Brittany's now above water body and pictured her dancing. She quickly tried to shake the thought, her mind telling her to keep it in her pants.

"Alex, Alex, careful!" Sam quickly halted, taking his hands off the blonde. His brother was trying to climb out of the hot tub, probably so he could jump back in. "Let me help you!" He said, walking as fast as he could through the water. Alex stopped and let his brother lift him over the edge. "Sorry buddy," he said when Alex gave him a helpless look. "I didn't want you to crack your head open!" Sam sighed when his brother's lip started quivering. "I think it's time we go up to bed." Alex crossed his arms but didn't object. "Kate," Sam called, "come grab a towel. Time for bed."

"Alright," she agreed. Santana noticed how well behaved the girl was. Nine-year-old Santana for sure would have thrown a tantrum.

"Sorry guys," Sam said to Brittany and Santana. "Someone's getting tired," he nodded towards Alex.

"Am not!" Alex defended himself.

"Not you, me," Sam tried to cover. He scooped up his brother and took Kate by the hand as they headed for the door, all wrapped in towels. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Bye Sam," the girls called in unison. As soon as Sam exited the room, Brittany sat back down on the bench, making sure to sit within touching distance of Santana. She hit her target, her leg pressing against the side of Santana's as she sat down.

"I've never been in here alone," Brittany admitted.

"You're not alone," Santana told her.

"I know, I just mean I've never been in her without strangers here."

"I'm not a stranger?" Santana asked.

"A little bit," Brittany joked back. But she was serious. She didn't know _that_ much about the girl, but at the same time, a weird part of her felt like she'd known the girl for years. "For instance, I didn't know you were that good with kids."

"I didn't tell you I was a child whisperer?"

"Nope," Brittany giggled softly.

"Oh, well, yeah," Santana said with a pause. "No, I like kids. They're simple. They don't complicate things."

"Yeah," Brittany agreed. "Have you gotten to hang out with Lincoln yet?"

"Not yet."

"I think he'd really like you," Brittany admitted, secretly hoping that Lincoln would get the chance to meet the girl. Santana smiled at Brittany before noticing her swollen shoulder.

"Jeez, you're shoulder," she said, lifting her hand out of the water to gently place it on her skin. Brittany almost shuddered at her touch. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, it's just a little sore," she said.

"You want me to..." Santana trailed off, giving Brittany's shoulder a light squeeze to suggest what she was offering.

"You don't have to," Brittany told the girl.

"No, it's fine, come here." Brittany smiled, first at the girl's generosity, than at the idea of the girl's hands on her back. Brittany stood in front of Santana, who was still seated on the water bench, as the girl's hands reached up onto her shoulders. She gave a few light squeezes and asked, "is this too hard?"

"No, it's perfect," Brittany sighed, feeling relief in her shoulder. "Also, wanky," she smiled.

"I've created a monster," Santana laughed. Brittany joined in. A few minutes of quiet passed, Santana lightly squeezing the blonde's shoulder muscles. Santana's arms were starting to get tired, and she was wanting more.

"It might be easier if you sit down," Santana suggested.

"Yeah, okay," Brittany nodded.

"Here," Santana said, opening her legs enough to leave room for Brittany to sit right between. She tugged gently on the girl's shoulders to show her that it was okay.

"You sure?" Brittany asked, nerves present in her voice. "Alright," Brittany obliged when Santana tugged lightly again. Brittany's stomach turned as she sat in between the girl's legs. She sat on the edge of the bench, so they weren't touching more than the slight brush of her sides hitting Santana's thighs, and of course Santana's hands on her back. Santana wanted to close the gap between them, pressing her stomach against the girls back, but she knew it could easily scare the girl off. Santana's hands slowed, dragging away from her shoulders and moving down and back up her back. Brittany felt bad, since it was only her shoulder that was hurting, but Santana's hands felt too good against her skin to stop.

"I have a question," Brittany breathed.

"Hm?" Santana asked, focusing on the feel of Brittany's skin. Even with wet hands, Santana knew Brittany had the softest skin she had ever felt.

"Do you really think those soccer guys are hot? The ones that wear fohawks?"

"What do you mean?" Santana let out a breathy laugh. "Like, was I lying, or do I actually think they're hot?"

"I mean, are you, uh, attracted to them?" Brittany tried again.

"Oh," Santana breathed. "You mean because I'm a lesbian."

"No! I just-"

"No," Santana laughed lightly. "I'm messing. It's alright. I can still tell when a guy is attractive, just like straight girls can tell if a girl is attractive," Santana used the example, careful not to group Brittany as a straight girl. "I'm not attracted to them, though, that's the difference."

"Oh," Brittany breathed as her mind took off. Maybe that's what this was. Maybe she just knew Santana was really attractive. Because she was. Santana was possibly the most attractive girl Brittany had ever met. Maybe that's all this was, just the acknowledgment of an attractive girl. That didn't mean she was _attracted_ to her, right?

But the urge to scoot further into Santana didn't go away, and eventually, the blonde gave in. Santana's legs twitched as Brittany moved her back into her, Santana's chest resting on Brittany's back. Brittany knew she liked Santana's body against hers. Maybe more than she should have.

"How's your shoulder," Santana whispered, mostly because she was having a hard trouble getting her words out.

"Feeling better, thanks," she smiled. "You don't have to do this," she told her.

"No, I like this," Santana said, scooching even closer to the blonde. Santana let her head hover over the blonde's right shoulder.

"Me too," Brittany confessed.

"Yeah?" Santana asked, breathing down her neck. Her warm breath chilled Brittany's spine. "I didn't get the chance to tell you before," Santana said softly, dragging her hands lower down the girl's back. She started massaging right below her bandeau with her thumbs, her other fingers resting slightly on her front. "You're body is ridiculous. Must be all the dancing," she added, trying to keep the flirtatious compliment _somewhat_ friendly.

"Thanks," Brittany breathed, heat rising to her face. She wanted to tell the brunette how great her body was, too, but she was barely able to get out her "thanks".

Santana's touches became a little gentler and a little riskier. She was doing everything she could to keep her lips from landing on the girl's neck, but it seemed impossible. Touching the girl like this, her almost bare body pressed up to hers, the flirting. It was all way too much. Suddenly, she lost all control herself and her lips were headed straight for the spot where Brittany's neck met her shoulders. Her lips made contact, and Santana's stomach flipped.

Brittany gasped a little, the air in her stomach evacuating immediately. Had Santana just..._kissed her_? Almost immediately, Santana ripped her lips from the skin, pulling her head away from the girl's neck. Her hands slowly dropped from off her back.

"I-I'm sorry," Santana shook her head, shocked that she just did that _and_ apologized for it. "I didn't-"

"It's alright," Brittany answered just as quickly. Brittany could still feel her lips on her neck, Brittany's favorite spot to be kissed. She couldn't explain why her heart was racing faster than it ever had, or why she swore her hands were sweating underwater, or the slight mix of panic and calm she was feeling.

"I'm sorry," Santana mumbled again, embarrassed and pissed at herself. She could have just ruined everything.

"Hey, stop," Brittany said, standing and turning towards Santana. "It's okay, I promise." The second Brittany's body detached from Santana's, she realized how much she missed it. She wanted to sit back down right then and place her body back into hers. "I- it was nice," Brittany muttered, letting herself be honest with Santana, and herself.

"Yeah?" Santana asked, her body relaxing as she looked at the bashful Brittany. That was her favorite side to Brittany, she thought. The side that got flustered when she liked something but wasn't sure if it was okay to like.

As Brittany realized what she might have suggested, she began to panic.

"Let's play a game," she spat and immediately regretted it.

"A game?" Santana asked, confused.

"Yeah, come on," Brittany took a step towards the open water.

"What game?" She asked again, her eyebrows knitting together.

Brittany said the first water game she could think of. "Marco Polo."

"With two people?" Santana asked. She was confused. Didn't Brittany just confess that she _liked _whatever had just happened?

"Yeah, I always play with two people," Brittany lied.

"Alright," Santana shrugged, doing whatever the girl wanted. She had basically just assaulted her with her lips so, whatever the girl wanted, she'd go along with.

The girls walked out towards the open water, Brittany feeling as dumb as ever. Who plays Marco Polo with two fucking people? Why couldn't she think of something smooth to say? She always did this. It frustrated her more than anything. But she wanted to thank Santana for going along with it, making Brittany feel way less dumb than she usually did when she did something like this.

"God, I'm so hot," Brittany breathed to herself, referring to the still boiling water that seemed to get even hotter towards the deeper end.

"Yeah you are," Santana flirted with a smirk. She was relieved when Brittany laughed and shook her head, clearly not put off my her outspokenness. It was amazing how calm the girl seemed now compared to just thirty seconds ago.

"I'll be it first," Brittany said, deciding it was only right, since it was her dumb idea. She could be sitting there, getting her back rubbed by Santana. Maybe with a few added neck kisses, too.

Santana nodded as Brittany ducked her head under the water, counting to ten. It shocked Santana at first, her going underwater and all, but once she realized she was letting Santana move around, it made sense. Santana backed up to the far corner and soon enough Brittany emerged from the water. Santana swore it was a scene from a fucking movie, watching the girl gracefully rise above the surface.

"Marco," Brittany called, smile on her lips.

"Polo," Santana called back, not moving. Brittany took a step closer towards Santana.

"Marco," she repeated.

"Polo," Santana answered. As the girl took another step closer, Santana took a good look at her body. Maybe this game wasn't such a bad idea, she thought, finally having free time to check out the girl's upper half without fear of anyone seeing or interrupting.

"Marco," Brittany repeated, inching her way towards Santana's corner.

"Polo," Santana said quieter. She knew she should be moving, but as the girl approached her, she had another idea.

"Marco," Brittany said again, confused as to why the voice didn't seem to be moving very much at all.

Santana took a step closer to Brittany "Polo."

Brittany felt the voice get closer than it had been before. "Marco," she tried again.

"Polo," Santana whispered, only two feet away from the blonde. Brittany smiled, feeling like she had the girl.

"Marco," Brittany said one last time. She waited for an answer as she took a step forward, but she didn't get one. Instead, she felt a light water current hit her waist. Then she felt two arms fall gently around her shoulders. Santana knew she was being bold, but something about Brittany's calm reaction told her it was okay. Yeah, Brittany was frozen, but it wasn't a _bad_ frozen. Slowly, Santana lightly wrapped her legs around Brittany's waist until the girl was basically holding her in the water.

Brittany kept her eyes tightly shut. As Santana realized what she was doing, her heart started going. She wasn't sure what made her do it, besides her crazy attraction to this girl. She had been attracted before, but she couldn't remember ever doing something so bold, especially with someone who wasn't sure they even liked girls. She did a one over of the blonde's face. As soon as her eyes locked on the girl's lips, her breath hitched.

"Polo," she breathed.

Slowly, Brittany opened her eyes, shocked to see how close Santana's face was to hers. Unable to keep her hands off the girl much longer, the blonde placed her hands on Santana's thighs that were wrapped around her waist. Santana smiled a little, glad that the blonde didn't appear to be freaking in a bad way.

Brittany's eyes latched onto Santana's eyes, soft and seductive, then they skipped down to her lips. Her lips were so full, so kissable, Brittany thought. Santana leaned her lips up a little, just within Brittany's reach. But she stopped. She wasn't going to do something this big without the blonde's consent. Brittany's heart thumped in her chest as she felt Santana's breath on her own lips.

Suddenly, the entire night's worth of touching seemed to explode inside of Brittany. She felt her body shudder as her lips started to tingle. Unable to keep away any longer, the blonde gave in, slowly closing the almost nonexistent gap between her lips and Santana's.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

**Hey guys! Hope you liked the chapter! Let me know what you think!**

**also- to those worried yes I will pick up with the kiss so stay calm haha**

**tumblr- slaves4hemo**


	8. Chapter 8

Brittany let out a shaky breath, her eyes flitting shut. Unable to keep away any longer, her lips softly pressed into Santana's. Her body shuttered, her stomach flipped, and her skin was covered with goosebumps. Her body was frozen in shock and she couldn't bring herself to move her lips. If she could feel anything besides the high that Santana gave her, she probably would have felt a little embarrassed by her lack of lip movement. The truth was, Brittany could have stayed frozen for hours, not moving her lips the slightest bit, and Santana wouldn't have even noticed. The girl's mind went blank, leaving her only with sound of her racing heart. Santana's stomach pulsed, butterflies exploding everywhere. Both girls stayed put, their connecting lips transporting them to a different world. Santana clenched her muscles as she collected herself enough to take Brittany's lower lip in hers. Brittany felt herself melt, first at Santana's hand resting on her neck, then at the softness of Santana's full lips. Her breath hitched against Santana's mouth, making the other girl jump a little, and Santana slowly released Brittany's lip from her own. Santana opened her eyes, looking at the blonde less than an inch from her. She was still clenching her eyes shut. The girl looked exactly how Santana felt- frozen, shocked, breathless.

Brittany tried to open her eyes but she couldn't get her body to respond to anything. She couldn't believe it. She had just kissed Santana. _She_ had kissed Santana. Yeah, maybe the girl had come onto her and made it almost impossible to _not_ kiss her, but Brittany had been the one to connect their mouths. And there she was, Santana's legs still wrapped around her waist, her body shaking and her heart racing. Santana watched, her eyes flitting all over the girl's features, as Brittany's chest rose and fell. She realized hers was doing the same.

After almost a full minute of heavy breathing, Brittany's eyes finally blinked open. Her eyes fell into Santana's deep brown pools and her heart stopped again.

"I-" she breathed, trying to say something. Anything. Santana would have said something, but she had absolutely no idea what she wanted to say. Nothing had ever made her feel like that. She hadn't felt anything remotely close to that from a kiss since junior year, and even that had nothing on the flying-like feeling she got from Brittany's lips.

"I'm sorry," Brittany shook, unable to get anything else out. Her hands slipped off from Santana's thighs and the girl took it as a sign to unwrap her legs. As Santana made it onto her feet, Brittany shook her head again and sighed. "Wow," she whispered.

"Wow is right," Santana whispered back. Brittany knew Santana had spoken, but she couldn't get out of her haze long enough to decipher her words.

"I can't believe I just did that," Brittany mumbled to herself. Santana felt like Brittany had punched her straight in her gut. Brittany must not have felt the sensation Santana was still experiencing.

"Was it that bad?" Santana breathed, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.

"What?" Brittany looked shocked. "No, no," she shook her head. "It was-" she sighed, her eyes closing for a moment. "It was- no." Brittany felt herself stumbling all over her words. She didn't want to say the wrong thing, but she didn't know exactly what was right. "I just don't know what's happening." Truth was, Brittany had never felt her body react to something that way. She wasn't sure if it was good or bad, but her body wanted more. She only knew one thing: she had never been so turned on from a kiss in her life.

"I'm sorry," Santana tried to apologize, though she wasn't sure for what.

"You?" Brittany looked at the girl, her brown eyes softer than ever before. She didn't understand why the girl was apologizing.

"I didn't mean to-"

"No," Brittany stopped her, not wanting the brunette to feel guilty for even a second. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that."

"I'm glad you did," Santana said after a moment, not wanting Brittany to think even for a second that she regretted it. Brittany felt a wave of heat course through her body, similar to the way the kiss had made her feel.

"Me too," she finally let herself confess, her face heating up. Santana felt a breathy laugh escape her lips, relief flooding her body.

"You are?" Santana smiled. Brittany felt her heart skip more than one beat as the pure hope in Santana's eyes reached her.

"Yeah," Brittany weakly confessed, still in disbelief. Santana's smile killed the girl. She wanted to make her smile again and again. Her eyes flickered down to Santana's lips, the ones that Brittany already missed against hers, and then back up to her eyes. Slight panic began to hit Brittany as tons of emotions filled her. Ones she couldn't grasp or understand.

"Are you alright?" Santana asked, noticing the change in Brittany's demeanor.

"Oh," Brittany said, a little shocked that Santana was able to tell if something was wrong with the girl, even after just meeting her. "Yeah," she nodded. "I just- I'm a little confused, I think."

"I like you," Santana blurted out mater-of-factly. Chills swept through Brittany's body at the words. "I like hanging out with you," Santana told her. "I like talking to you. I like listening to you. I like looking at you," she laughed, making Brittany blush even harder. "And I liked that, too," she said softer, referring back to their kiss. "But I know this is probably a little new to you, strange too, even." Brittany looked at the girl in amazement as she said out loud the exact thoughts from Brittany's head. "So if this isn't what you want, just tell me, and I'll stop." The words pained Santana to say more than she expected. Her voice even cracked towards the end. "I'd still want to be your friend," Santana added, trying to make it clear. "Because you're cool. And I don't feel that way about most people." Brittany couldn't help but smile as she looked down at her feet through the hot water. "Take your time," she told her. "If you decide you aren't into me like _that_, then I'll stop flirting. It'll be hard," she confessed. "Really hard. _Wanky_," she added, before the blonde could beat her. Brittany laughed, amazed again that the girl could make her smile during such a serious moment. With that, Santana started walking through the water towards the chair and towels. Just as she reached the steps, she turned back towards Brittany. "Let me be clear," she said boldy. "I'll be _whatever _you want to be. But I really hope it involves whatever the hell happened here tonight," she smirked.

As Santana turned away, Brittany couldn't help her eyes from falling down the girl's bare back. She stood paralyzed, watching the girl grab a towel and walk out of the room, not once turning back to look at the blonde in the hot tub. As soon as the girl was gone, Brittany let out a breath of air she hadn't realized she was holding in. She could almost feel tears welling up. That's what always happened to the girl whenever she had an overload of different emotions. Brittany had no clue what had just happened. The whole thing felt like it was someone else's life and Brittany was simply spectating. Someone else had flirted with Santana, someone else had kissed her, someone else had felt those things. But no, that wasn't true, and she knew it. The things she felt were much too real to be someone else. Her body still hadn't recovered, her heart was still racing and her lips were still tingling. And now Santana had walked off, leaving the ball totally in Brittany's court. Her call. And Brittany had no clue what to do.

As the door closed behind Santana, she let her body collapse against the wall.

"Fuck," she breathed, finally letting herself be vulnerable. Santana had tried to stay confident in front of Brittany, she tried to seem like that kiss wasn't much different from any other kiss thus far in her life. But as Santana's shaky body slide down the wall, she knew that wasn't true. She knew the girl was dangerous. And she hated it. But she needed more.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

Santana woke up feeling more anxious than she had ever remembered feeling. The dead silence of her room made her uncomfortable, the light cracking through the blinds hurt her eyes, and the piece of paper she spotted laying halfway under her door made her stomach flip.

_Brittany_ she thought. Without giving her head time to adjust to waking up, the girl hopped out of bed and sprinted towards the paper. She ignored the blood rushing to her head and quickly bent over to grab the note.

_San,_

_Out for the day with Christine. Enjoy!_

_Love,_

_Daddy_

Santana rolled her eyes at his signature. He still referred to himself as Daddy, she thought it had something to do with him not wanting his baby to grow up. At least that's what her Mother always told her.

Great, Santana thought. Even her father didn't want to spend time with her. She quickly stopped her mind from creating things. Brittany hadn't told her she didn't want to hangout. Not yet, at least. There was no reason for her to be freaking out. But she was. Santana had barely slept last night, overanalyzing everything Brittany had said or done up till that point. Brittany had been the one to kiss her in the end, but Santana had kissed lots of people she didn't necessarily _want_ to kiss. It was more like a right place-at-the-right-time, she was horny type thing. And both Santana and Sam had been touching Brittany before, so sure, the girl was probably in the mood.

Santana returned to her bed, deciding there wasn't much else to do at the moment. Plus, she needed to vent. She pulled out her tiny notebook and grabbed the pen on her nightstand. Within minutes, her first page was filled with thoughts from the past night. As she looked over her writing, the only word her eyes would flicker to was _Brittany. _It wasn't hard, really, since her name was ubiquitous on the page. Santana sighed and decided to try to write the next page without mentioning Brittany once. Her first three attempts at the first sentence had to be crossed out, since they all contained the girl's name. Just write, she told herself. She tried to forget about the girl and picked a subject that was sure to stray from Brittany: Her Dad.

_Christine seems nice_, she scribbled down.

_She's really pretty, too. Not the kind of pretty that seems fake, either. Natural beauty. The kind that makes you know right away that she's pretty on the inside, too. Just like Brittany. _

"Shit," she breathed. She drew a line through the last sentence and tried to start again from where she left off.

_My Dad seemed so happy. I knew when he came in to talk to me that something was different. Just from his aura. I knew he was dying to tell me something, and I'm so happy he's letting himself search for happiness. He's even out with her this morning. Yeah, I guess I'm alone now, but he probably expected me to be hanging out with_

Santana caught herself, picking up the pen.

_Other kids from the lodge._

She smirked like she had just outsmarted Einstein.

_Anyway, back to Christine. I only met her for a minute really. I really wish I had gotten the chance to talk to her some more. Maybe we can go out to dinner later.I think I'd like that. We technically already had dinner together, but as soon as I spotted Brittany at the other end of the table I had to_

"Ugh!" Santana groaned. She turned the page.

_Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany _

she scribbled the blondes name over and over again in hopes that it would eventually wear out. She thought writing the name for however many times as she needed to would clear her mind of it.

_Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany _

Three pages later and Santana wasn't nearly halfway done.

Santana flipped over on the bed and buried her head into the pillow.

"Aghhhhh!" She screamed into the muffler. This girl was driving her crazy, and she absolutely hated it.

_XxXxXxXxXxX _

"You alright?" Sam asked Brittany as she swirled her spoon around in her Cap'n Crunch. "You're kind of quiet this morning."

"She didn't say anything till you showed up!" Lincoln chimed in, grinning wide. He liked being of some assistance to the conversation, especially one involving Sam.

"Huh? I'm fine," Brittany said without looking up from her bowl.

"You sure?" Sam asked. They dated for almost two years, it was stupid of Brittany to think that he wouldn't be able to tell if something was bothering her.

"Yeah," she looked up, giving him her best smile. "I'm just tired." He nodded.

"You got any plans today?" Sam asked.

"Just wanna lay low. Maybe work out, hit the sauna, something like that."

"I'll work out with you," he shrugged. He was always a great workout partner, Brittany remembered. Motivating, but not too harsh.

"Sure," she nodded, trying to add in another smile. It wasn't fair to be rude to him just because her mind was all over the place.

"Are you still planning on going to the club tonight?"

"What club?" Lincoln's eyes bugged. His definition of club was very different than Sam's.

"Not for you, little guy," Brittany told him. "It's dancing. For big kids."

"Oh," he shrugged, losing all interest.

"Yeah, we can go to that," Brittany smiled. The thought of dancing seemed like a good idea to her. Maybe blow off some steam.

"You think Santana will be there?" He asked, not necessarily wanting to invite her, but still wanting to know if she would be going.

"Dunno," Brittany shrugged again, the mention of the girl's name making her stomach churn.

Brittany hadn't gotten much sleep, either. She laid in bed, eyes staring at the ceiling for hours straight. She had kissed a girl before, but not like that. Not with that intention. Honestly, though, Brittany wasn't totally fixated on the fact that Santana was a girl. Sure, it hadn't _totally_ escaped her, but it wasn't the weirdest thing in the world. Maybe she didn't feel completely normal about it all, and she'd definitely need some time to adjust to maybe liking a girl. But it's not like she even knew if she liked the girl. She was attracted to the girl, that she'd admit. After last night, it was hard to deny. The brunette had turned her on with ease, but then again maybe she was just good at touching. Brittany didn't think so, though, since she couldn't get her smile, or her eyes, or lips, out of her head. What was really confusing Brittany, though, were her feelings for Sam. Or lack of, maybe? She couldn't tell, anymore. Coming to the lodge, Brittany was so excited to hear that Sam was coming. She was nervous, sure, since the boy had been the reason she had felt broken and lost for so long. But she missed him, and she knew he missed her. Maybe the feelings weren't all there anymore, but that didn't mean she couldn't get them back, right? She didn't know anymore. She didn't know _anything_ anymore.

"I'm gonna go get changed. I'll meet you at the gym?" Sam confirmed.

"Yeah," Brittany nodded, hoping the workout would be just what she needed.

_XxXxXxXxXxX _

"Just three more," Sam said as Brittany's elbows reached her knees, completing her sit up. "Two. One. Nice," he smiled, letting go of the pressure on her feet.

"You're turn," She huffed, scrambling to her knees. Sam laid onto his back and Brittany put her knees onto his sneakers. Sam started doing sit ups as Brittany watched his loose blonde hair fall into his eyes.

"I missed this," he said in between breaths.

"Yeah," Brittany nodded in agreement.

"You find a new workout partner yet?" he asked on his tenth sit up. Brittany knew he didn't just mean workout partner. She just shrugged, unsure of what else to say.

"I've tried," he confessed. He was talking slowly, since he was still focusing on his core. "But I haven't found anyone as good as you." Brittany's felt her face getting red and she was glad she was already burning up from her workout.

"I am pretty good, aren't I?" Brittany tried joking to lighten the mood.

"The best," he smiled.

"Ten more," she smiled back. He sat up as he finished, his breath not quite as heavy as Brittany's had been.

"You ever think about what would have happened if we went to the same school?" Sam asked softly.

"Of course," Brittany admitted.

"Yeah," Sam breathed. "Me too." Brittany could sense the pain in his voice and she hated it. Feelings or not, she cared for the guy.

"I think I'm gonna-"

"I miss you," Sam interrupted as Brittany was about to dismiss herself to the sauna. She just nodded, unsure of what to say.

"Yeah," Brittany breathed. "I missed you too," she said, unaware of the fact that she made her statement past tense.

"Then have dinner with me?" he suggested quietly. "Before we go to the club. It doesn't have to be a date," he tried. "Just, think of it as us catching up. We don't have to force anything. I just- I wanna try. Don't you? We've hardly had any time to talk so far."

Brittany looked at Sam's gentle green eyes, so unsure and trying. She owed it to them, didn't she? She owed it to herself to try, right? Then why did it feel so weird?

"I-"

"Please, it's just a dinner."

"Alright," she shrugged. He was her best friend. How could she say no? "Just a dinner," she smiled. She wasn't sure why she was so reluctant, but she assumed it had something to do with her guard. He'd hurt her before, though unintentionally, he did. And she didn't want that to happen again.

"I'm gonna go shower," Brittany told him. "I'll see you tonight."

"I'll pick you up at seven?" He smiled.

"Sounds good," she laughed at his excitement. "See ya."

Brittany threw her clothes into an open locker and placed her sneakers in front of it. After a quick rinse off in the shower, the blonde walked through the locker room and towards the sauna. The humid, hot room through the wooden doors was one of her favorite places in the resort. It was so peaceful. Inside the square room were two levels of benches, and upper and a lower. The heater with hot stones was in the center of the room and it always intrigued Brittany.

She pushed open the door and as she looked up, her heart stopped.

"Oh," she breathed, completely shocked, her eyes landing on the familiar brown eyes, trying their best not to venture further down towards her towel. "Hey."

"Hey," Santana breathed back. Her mouth was dry from the humidity, but if it hadn't been, she was sure the shock of seeing the blonde would have dried it out. After writing most of the day away, the girl decided she needed to leave the room. She went to the lookout for awhile but she just ended up writing some more. Eventually she ended up in the sauna, thinking the hot isolation was best. She doubted she'd run into the blonde there. Yet, there she was, standing only a few feet away, draped in only a towel. What were the fucking chances?

The girls stared at each other for a moment, both completely unsure of what to say.

"How are you?" Santana finally asked.

"Good," Brittany nodded quickly. "I'm good. How are you?"

"Okay," Santana smiled. Brittany quickly took a seat on the bench closest to her. She felt herself sweating almost immediately. She knew it was from the sauna, but some part of her blamed the perspiration on the girl in the towel across from her.

Santana's eyes couldn't help themselves. She kept a straight face, but the blonde's body was too good to be true, even hidden by a towel. Brittany could feel the girl's eyes searching her and she began looking around the room nervously.

"My Dad's out with your Aunt again," Santana told her, needing some way to break the silence. It was the only thing she could think of that didn't seem like it would be a touchy subject.

"Really?" Brittany giggled, finally looking back at the girl.

"Yeah, he left me a note this morning. _Out with Christine,_" she mocked. "Left me high and dry." Brittany suddenly felt irrationally guilty for not keeping Santana company throughout the day.

"They're cute," Brittany smiled.

"Yeah," Santana agreed. "How'd you sleep?" Santana finally asked, genuinely curious.

"Good," Brittany lied robotically.

"Oh," Santana breathed, clearly deflated.

"You?"

"Didn't get much sleep. Too much on my mind," she admitted. Brittany nodded, trying not to seem too interested. But she was. She wanted to know exactly what the girl was thinking about. She always wanted to know what the girl was thinking about.

Sitting across from a quiet Brittany was depressing Santana. She couldn't handle the awkward tension, plus she knew she'd probably been in the sauna way too long.

"I better get going before my skin falls off," Santana said dryly. Brittany couldn't help but smile, even if her feelings were playing with her head. "See you around," Santana said hopefully. And then she was gone.

Brittany watched her leave again, something she both loved and hated. Brittany hated how awkward their encounter was. Part of Brittany wanted to chase after her. She wanted to tell her that she didn't sleep either. She wanted to tell her that she liked last night. A lot. And that she was confused, but she was working on it. She was trying to sort out her feelings. She wanted to tell her a lot of things but Brittany's feet didn't move. She stayed planted in the sauna for another thirty minutes, thinking about the brunette and feeling stupid for thinking about the brunette.

Eventually, when she couldn't take the heat or her head any longer, Brittany got up to head back out to the locker room. She found her locker, the one by her sneakers, and opened it up to grab her clothes. As she pulled out her fresh pair of sweats and tank top, a tiny piece of paper floated to the ground. Brittany looked around the empty locker room before bending down to pick it up.

She inspected the folded, lined paper for a moment. The paper seemed familiar. The size of it did, at least. Like it was from a journal. Slowly, Brittany unfolded the ripped piece of paper and her heart skipped a beat. She read over the six words over and over again, making sure it was real. She couldn't help the huge smile forming on her lips. The way the words were smudged to the right made Brittany certain the writer was left handed, only making her stomach flip harder. She read the note again, smiling wider.

She was glad she wasn't the only one.

_I can't stop thinking about you._

_XxXxXxXxXxX _

**Thank you so much to everyone for reading, reviewing, and subscribing! Thanks for the fan art and messages, they're awesome!**

**Hope you guys liked it! Let me know what you think! xox**

**Tumblr- slaves4hemo**


	9. Chapter 9

Brittany took a look at herself in the full length mirror. Her short black high-waisted pencil skirt was tighter than she remembered it being. She wore a pale yellow short sleeved shirt that wasn't any looser. Her father whistled with a giggle as he entered her half of the room.

"Where you off to, pretty girl?"

"Dinner with Sam," she smiled. For some reason, though, she felt weird smiling. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she almost felt like she had suddenly forgotten how to smile. Like her muscle memory had failed her. Her cheeks felt like they did after holding a smile for a photo for an unnecessarily long time, like she wasn't quite sure if she even looked like she was smiling anymore.

"Oo, you excited?" Her Dad flicked his eyebrows up. She fooled him.

"I guess so," she shrugged. "I'm gonna show him the club afterward. I haven't been in the eighteen and up one, yet."

"Oh, have fun!" He took a good look at his daughter with an adoring smile. "You must be trying to make some impression," he laughed, shaking his head at his daughter's tight outfit. "I'm pretty sure Sam already likes you."

"Hm," Brittany shrugged him off, not because she didn't disagree with him, but because she was pretty sure Sam wasn't the one she was trying to impress.

It seemed a little dumb to her, though. She wasn't even going to see Santana tonight, right? She had sort of invited her to the club yesterday, but that was before they kissed. _And_ before Brittany acted like a totally awkward and mute child in the sauna today. She hadn't mentioned it to her today, so she doubted the girl would go alone. She knew Santana liked her too, so why was she dressing like this? The more she thought about everything, the more she worried Santana would change her mind. The only thing keeping Brittany from having a minor freakout was the note Santana had left her. Just thinking about it made Brittany's stomach tingle. The kiss confused her. A lot. She wasn't sure if it had affected Santana the same way it had the blonde. In some degree, the way Santana was chasing after her seemed more like a game sometimes. She didn't actually believe that, or want to believe it, but the thought was still planted somewhere deep in her mind. Why would the girl be trying so hard to go after someone like Brittany, especially when Brittany was pretty sure Santana could get whoever she wanted.

Now she stood there, about to go out on a quasi-date with Sam. She couldn't put a name to any of her emotions and it was stressing her the hell out. Sam still made her laugh, he still calmed her nerves. But so did all of her friends. Did he make her stomach flip anymore? She wasn't really sure, but as soon as she thought about stomach flipping, she thought about the brunette. Brittany let out a frustrated sigh, not quite sure what anything meant anymore. She liked Sam, didn't she? Maybe not as much as she used to, but he was still the same guy as before, and Brittany was the same girl. Nothing had _really _changed, had it?

Sam was easy. They knew almost everything about each other. His parents loved her, her parents love him. They made each other laugh. He was hot. They were comfortable.

So why did Brittany's stomach drop when Sam knocked at her door?

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

Santana peeked her head through the roped off door, wondering if it was even worth checking out.

"Go on in," a oversized man in a suit gestured through the open space as he lifted up the red rope. What, was this a fucking hollywood premier? Santana laughed to herself as she stepped inside, enticed by the mysterious dark room and flashing red lights. She wondered for a brief moment why he hadn't carded her or anything, but she looked down at her tight dress and smirked. She knew she was legal, but still, with the roped setup like that the girl thought it would have been harder to get into.

Right where she walked in, the wall was lined with dark red and black couches until they converged with the dance floor. The floor was lit up, something Santana hadn't actually seen in real life. She could see from the front that the tiles were changing color, from white to blue to red to green to purple. It was sweet. Santana was a little surprised at how many people were actually there. She had sworn she hadn't seen anyone else around the resort her age except for Brittany and Sam. Yet there she was, in a sea of 18-25 year olds. Her jaw almost dropped when she saw an actual bar across the way. She slipped through the dance floor, ignoring a few guys trying to grab her attention, and slid into an empty barstool. The two bartenders, one young guy and one young girl, were both occupied. She looked at the guy two seats down from her, clearly on the older end of the age spectrum, and knew he wasn't just drinking a sprite. Actual alcohol. Santana was surprised. Nobody had given her a wrist band or anything to prove that she was over 21 like any other bar she'd been at.

"What can I get for you?" The young male bartender asked before looking up at her. He wiped the counter in front of him with a rag before finally locking eyes with Santana. "Oh," he paused. "Hey." The guy smiled at her with his light brown eyes. They were actually really pretty. Santana smirked back at the guy, always feeling sorry for the guys who flirted with her, since they really stood no chance. Wasted effort, she thought.

"Hey," Santana said slowly.

"What would you like, maybe sex on the beach?" He said with a crooked smile. He was kind of cute, Santana thought. She laughed lightly but nodded, not wanting to ruin her chance to get alcohol. He nodded back and quickly turned around to make the drink. Santana's eyebrows rose in surprise, liking how easy it was to get alcohol. She guessed she did look a little old for her age. Especially when she dressed up.

"I know right," a gentle, lower voice came from beside her. "It's incredibly easy," a blonde smirked. Santana squinted her one eye at the girl, unsure of what she meant. She couldn't help but smile at the girl's smirk, though.

"To get alcohol," the girl explained. "The girl's a little tougher," she shrugged.

"How do you know I'm not twenty-one," Santana asked almost defensively.

"What twenty-one year old girl _really_ comes to this bar alone?" the girl laughed lightly. Santana was a little mesmerized by her voice. It should have been boring to her, since it was pretty monotone, but she liked it. "There's an actual bar downstairs."

"Ones that wanna dance," Santana defended.

"Oh, so now you're a dancer," the girl bantered back, raising her eyebrows a little. Santana noticed how pretty her hazel-green eyes were.

"Maybe," Santana smirked. She liked this girl's attitude. Not that many girl's could keep up with Santana, but she was pretty sure this girl would be able to. "Nineteen," Santana confessed with a smile.

The girl smiled back. "As am I. Quinn," she said, offering her name.

"Santana," she told her. "So is this where you come for your alcohol?"

"Has been for the past four years."

"How'd you get in as a fifteen year old?" Santana asked, doing the math. Quinn simply laughed.

"Same way you're getting alcohol right now," she said simply, her eyes falling down Santana's dress. "Nice dress, by the way."

"Thanks," Santana told the girl. "You too."

Santana was wearing a short, three-quarter-sleeved black dress with a completely open back. The dress swooped down from her shoulder's all the way to her lower back. Quinn was in a simple strapless nude colored dress. Her hair was curled similarly to Santana's, not too much, just a natural wave.

"Here you go," the bartender turned around with the orange-red drink. "Hey, Ali," his eyes lit up at Quinn in recognition. Santana was about to open her mouth when the two quickly finished their conversation.

"Same as usual?"

"Yes please," she smiled seductively. As soon as he was gone, she turned to Santana.

"Ali?" Santana creased her forehead at the girl.

"Don't want a stalker," she smirked again. "Plus, this way my parents have no shot at finding out what I'm up to." Pretty clever, Santana thought. She liked this girl. "Is this your first time here?"

"Yeah, I'm with my Dad."

"How you liking it?"

"It's pretty cool," she asked. "How long have you been coming?"

"Since I was ten," Quinn said. "This is my first time here during the holidays, though."

"Nice."

"Yeah, except now none of my friends are here at the same time. Have you met anybody yet?"

"Yeah," Santana breathed, a small smile already forming on her lips.

"Oo," Quinn cooed. "A guy?"

"Uh, no. Well yeah, I met a guy," she said thinking of Sam.

"He any cute?"

Santana was about to say no when she realized that would be a lie.

"Eh, yeah," she shrugged.

"So what's the problem?" Quinn asked, almost laughing.

"You mean besides the fact that I'm gay?" Santana smirked back.

"Really?" Quinn almost sang, her eyes widening. She was sporting a big smile.

"Really," Santana answered back sarcastically.

"That's hot," Quinn scrunched up her nose.

"Shut up," Santana rolled her eyes with a laugh.

"So you got a girlfriend? Or is that what that enamored sigh was about?" Santana just eyed the girl, deciding if she was annoyed or if she liked the girl. She was pretty sure she was leaning towards the latter. "What's her name?" she asked, already knowing the answer to her first question.

"Does it matter?"

"She like you?" Quinn asked. Santana pondered over the question for a moment.

"Here you go," the bartender interrupted, handing Quinn her drink that looked like coke and rum. "So Ali," he asked, "I get off in a little, you wanna hit the floor later?" Before Quinn could answer the female bartender was calling for him at the other end of the bar. "Think about it," he smiled before disappearing.

"Ugh," Quinn rolled her eyes. "And _that's_ why my name is Ali."

"What's wrong with him?" Santana laughed. "You have a boyfriend or something? He's kinda cute."

"And _that's_ why you're gay," Quinn said in a similar tone with a smug look.

"Whatever," Santana rolled her eyes, taking another sip of her drink.

"So where's your girl?"

"She's not my girl," Santana sat back, realizing how much she wished it was true. Talking about Brittany was putting her on edge a little. She left Brittany that note, something pretty bold of her, and she hadn't heard from the girl at all. Sure, it had only been a few hours, but Santana waited in her room all night after leaving the note, hoping for any sign that the girl had been thinking of her too. Santana began to worry she was coming on too strong. Unable to sit in the room any longer in fear of going crazy, Santana forced herself to go out. The only place she knew about was this club, so she decided it was better than nothing.

Quinn didn't say anything else, she just eyed Santana waiting for a response. It was like she knew Santana was going to answer eventually. She did have an intimidating quality about her gaze, so it probably worked on most people, but she didn't know Santana. Still, Santana kind of liked having the option to talk about the girl. She had been dying to call her best friend from home, Lizzie, to have the option to talk if she wanted, but she didn't have any fucking service.

"But you want her to be," Quinn stated when it became clear Santana wasn't planning on answering her.

"No shit," Santana rolled her eyes.

"I like you,"Quinn laughed. Santana smiled at the girl, thinking the same. She knew the girl wasn't flirting, she could tell that's just the way she was. And she liked that. "Does she like girls?"

"I don't think she knows," Santana said, narrowing her eyes. "But she seems to be _somewhat_ into me?" She hadn't realized how unsure she was of it until the words slipped out of her mouth.

"You're hot," Quinn shrugged. "I'm sure she is." Santana let out a breathy laugh. "Is she coming tonight?"

"Not sure," Santana shrugged. "She sort of invited me last night but then things... things got kind of weird."

"Weird?" Quinn inquired.

"We kind of- uh- we kind of kissed, but-"

"So she's into you," Quinn laughed.

"Not sure-"

"Where you drunk?"

"What? No,"

"Then she's into you."

"Or she's just curious," Santana tried.

"Yeah, or she's into you," Quinn shrugged. "I mean, she's at least attracted to you. Otherwise that wouldn't have happened. Without her being drunk of course." Santana just shrugged.

"Anyway, I knew she was kind of confused, so I sort of left everything up to her. Told her it's her decision, whatever she wants to do."

"Talk about pressure," Quinn smirked.

"Her ex-boyfriend is kind of here, too, so that's not making anything easier."

"Oh, is that the guy you said you knew? The cute one?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I mean he's cute, but you should see his fucking _mouth!_" Santana exclaimed after taking another sip. "His lips are huge! I mean, like bigger than mine." Quinn laughed.

"Ha, wait," she calmed her laughter. "Blondies?"

"Huh?"

"Is he blonde? Her too, are they both blonde?"

"Yeah, why?" Santana asked perplexed.

"His hairs kind of shaggy? Hers is a little past her shoulders. Both fair skinned?"

"Yeah," Santana breathed, eyebrows creasing together.

"I'm _pretty_ sure I sat next to them at dinner tonight," she said, almost wincing. "Unless there's another cute blondie with huge ass lips." Santana's stomach twitched and she sat up a little, suddenly feeling nauseous.

"Fuck," Santana breathed to herself. She felt like a giant weight from above was slowly crushing her.

"I'm sorry- I shouldn't have-"

"No," Santana shook her head. "It's alright," she said, eyes still clenched shut. "I think I knew it was coming," she shrugged, realizing how prepared she was for this.

"Aaron, another one," Quinn called to the bartender, nodding at Santana. He nodded and quickly got at making another sex on the beach.

"Thanks," Santana laughed a little.

"So what about me?" Quinn asked with a genuine smile.

"What about you?"

"Am I hot?" Santana laughed and Quinn joined in. She smiled at Quinn's attempt to lighten the mood. She was cool, Santana decided.

"Duh," Santana rolled her eyes.

"Seriously," Quinn scrunched her nose up.

"Not my type," Santana shrugged with a smirk, feigning indifference.

"I'm blonde!"

"Shut up," Santana rolled her eyes. Santana began sipping on her second sex on the beach, grateful Quinn ordered her a second. A few minutes passed, the girls commenting on different people in the bar. Santana was pleased to find someone else with her similar bitchy humor, even just for a few minutes.

"Crap," Quinn muttered just as Aaron-Santana was pretty sure that was the bartender's name- threw his towel into the sink. Santana looked over at the girl on the stool next to her.

"What's up?"

"I can't deal with him," she rolled her eyes. "Can you- uh," just then Aaron turned towards Quinn with a smile. Before Quinn let him see that she actually saw him, she grabbed Santana's hand and pulled her away from the bar. She didn't turn back to Santana or say anything until they made it into the middle of the dance floor.

"Sorry," she leaned in to whisper to Santana. "I just didn't wanna dance with him."

"No worries," Santana laughed. She didn't understand what was so bad about the guy, but she trusted Quinn, since she'd known him a lot longer.

"Shit," Quinn rolled her eyes. "He's coming. Dance with me?" She pleaded, her voice strained. Santana just smiled and reached down to interlock their fingers, pulling Quinn closer to her. It wasn't her first time being a straight girl's cover. Some song Santana didn't know was playing, but it had an overly loud bass that was making the floor, which was currently blue, shake.

"Thanks," Quinn laughed, pulling their hands above their head. The girls swayed side to side until Quinn realized how close he was getting. Not wanting to make eye contact, Quinn turned the opposite direction and pressed herself into Santana's front. Santana let her hands fall down onto Quinn's hips as the girl rocked against her. Quinn grinded against Santana for about a minute and then she turned around. She peered around for any sign of Aaron but he was nowhere in sight.

"Ugh, Thank you!" Quinn squealed, throwing her arms around Santana's neck. Santana giggled as she returned the hug.

Sam's hands on Brittany's hips guided her onto the dance floor. Brittany wasn't sure what song was playing but it was already making her hips shake. Dinner was fine. Sam made her laugh and things felt comfortable again, but she really couldn't wait to dance. She'd been thinking about it all night. She even got a little antsy in her seat.

"I missed those hips," Sam smirked into Brittany's ear from behind. She playfully nudged her elbow into him. He had pretty much refrained from flirting all dinner, just like he said he would, but she expected dancing to be a little different. It was even hard for Brittany to stop herself from flirting when dancing was involved.

Instinctually reacting to the music, Brittany pushed her back into Sam and began rolling her hips along with the beat. Sam's hands traced down Brittany's sides, trying to keep up with the girl who was clearly a superior dancer. He had to try his best to not look like an idiot.

Suddenly, something happened that never happens to Brittany when music is playing- her body froze.

Sam, recognizing the rarity of the event, leaned into her ear.

"You alright?" He asked, worried. Brittany's eyes were locked straight ahead.

Santana, that was Santana right? It had to be her, Brittany decided. Nobody else's body looked like that. Brittany felt her stomach sinking, fast at first, then slowly and painfully. Who was she hugging? Who was that girl? The knot got bigger when Brittany saw how pretty the blonde was.

"Brit, you okay?" Sam asked again, but Brittany was paralyzed.

"Blondies, nine o'clock," Quinn nodded to her left. Santana turned to see a stunned Brittany, looking gorgeous as ever, staring right at her.

"Shit," Santana breathed, feeling her stomach tighten as she spotted Sam's hands on her hips.

"Dance with me," Quinn commanded.

"Huh?" Santana breathed, her eyes not unlocking from Brittany's. Quinn started swaying against her but she didn't look at the girl. All she could focus on was trying to read Brittany's eyes.

"You want her to realize she likes you? Dance with me," Quinn urged, pulling Santana's body closer to hers. Quinn's words registered a little late, but suddenly they hit her, making total sense. Brittany was confused, why not help her out?

Santana smirked at Quinn, bringing her hands up to her hair and lightly teasing it. Quinn slipped her one thigh in between Santana's and let Santana roll her hips around on her leg. Then Quinn spun her around, so Santana's ass was against her front, allowing the girl to do her thing.

"Show her what she's missing," Quinn laughed. Santana looked out of the corner of her eye at Brittany. Although the girl had resumed movement, her eyes were still locked on Santana. Santana reached behind her and grabbed Quinn's hands in hers, letting her ass roll into her a few times. Her hips moved with ease and she was grateful Quinn was moving along with her. Santana leaned over, letting her hands near the floor and popped her ass into Quinn a few times. She slowly rolled back up and turned back around, throwing her arms around Quinn's neck. Quinn was giggling as Santana leaned over her shoulder.

"Damn, girl," Quinn laughed as they pressed their fronts against each other. Santana was feeling great about everything until she saw Brittany turn towards Sam the second she looked up.

Brittany snapped around, unable to keep her eyes on Santana any longer. All through dinner, she had been able to suppress her thoughts about the girl. She caught up with Sam, talked about college, family, old friends, and life. She only thought about Santana a couple times and scolded her self as soon as she did. It was Sam time, not Santana time. As soon as she spotted Santana in that fucking dress, moving that way, all bets were off. Brittany wanted to dance. With her. Sam was fine. Well, subpar, really, but the way Santana was moving, _damn_.

Still, that girl found someone else. That quickly, Brittany was replaced. Either way, she was out with Sam. Brittany turned herself towards Sam and slid her hands down his sides, rocking her body seductively down his body. Sam's expression was priceless, had Brittany seen it. She wasn't sure why she was turning on her moves, partly because she wanted to make the other girl jealous and partly because she needed let off some steam and dancing was exactly how she did it.

Santana's mouth dropped. Holy shit could Brittany move. She knew she liked dancing, but _fuck_ she'd never seen anyone's body move like that. Ever.

"I give up," Santana breathed.

"What?" Quinn sighed. "No!" Santana shook her head and turned Quinn around to get a better look at Brittany riding up and down Sam's legs.

"Shit," Quinn breathed, clearly as impressed as Santana. "She's fucking hot," Quinn said in amazement."

"Fuck me," Santana practically screamed. They girls stood dumbfounded as Brittany turned back around on Sam, not bothering to look up at Santana and her new friend, and grinded her ass into Sam. She ran her hands through her hair as her hips went wild.

"Let me try," Quinn breathed, turning back towards Santana.

"What?" Santana asked, still dumbfounded by Brittany's body.

"Maybe if _I'm_ into _you_ it'll get to her." Before Santana could answer, Quinn's hands where sliding up and down her torso. Her body was slowly grinding down Santana's. As the girl made her way back up, they both became well aware of Brittany's eyes on them.

"Hold on," Quinn breathed huskily. Santana wasn't sure what she meant, but slowly Quinn's lips started approaching Santana's bare neck. Santana wasn't sure if she should stop her or not, but since when was she someone to turn down free kisses? She didn't really have a choice, either, since Quinn's lips hit her skin before she could stop her.

Brittany felt her stomach capsize in the worst way possible. She actually leaned over a little, suddenly feeling unable to hold herself upright. Why the hell was this happening to her? She was dancing with Sam, someone she cared about, so why the fuck did some girl she just met dancing with another girl make her physically ill?

"Brit," Sam suddenly stopped, turning her towards him. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"Uh- y-yeah," she stuttered. "I-I think I need to, uh, to go to the bathroom for a minute." Sam nodded and let go of the girl as Brittany rushed through the crowd into the bathroom.

"Sh-she's leaving!" Santana cried. Quinn ripped her lips off of Santana's neck. She had been careful not to really kiss, she just pressed her lips there and held the position for a moment. Quinn looked over to an isolated Sam.

"I- I think it worked," Quinn breathed, clearly shocked.

"Shit," Santana shook her head, about to chase after Brittany. She stopped after two steps and turned to Quinn with a tiny smile. "Thanks, Quinn. You're pretty cool."

"Yeah, you too," Quinn nodded. "Go get her!" She motioned towards the bathroom.

Santana pushed through a few people to get passed the dance floor. She made it all the way to the bathroom, nearly a minute after Brittany, and pushed open the door.

"Oh," Santana breathed calmly as she saw Brittany examining her eyes in the mirror. "Hey," she said casually, like this was a coincidental run-in and not like she had followed the girl there.

"H-hi," Brittany said shakily. It wasn't until then that Santana realized the girl might have been crying, or was about to. Santana stepped closer.

"Are you alright?" She asked softly. She didn't know what to feel. Had she done this to the girl? She hadn't meant to hurt her, just make her a little jealous. It wasn't really her fault, though, it wasn't like they were really together. Either way, it made Santana feel a little sick to her stomach.

"Yeah," Brittany shook her head, already able to steady her voice out. "I just needed a breather."

"You're quite the dancer," Santana said with a little smirk. Brittany didn't answer, not because she didn't have anything to say, but because what she wanted to say was bound to make her voice shaky again.

Santana watched the girl get a little uncomfortable as she fiddle with her sting bracelet. Santana walked closer and leaned up against the sink next to her and positioned herself so that she was facing the blonde who was still standing in front of the mirror.

"How was dinner?" Santana asked, careful to keep her tone respectful.

"Fine," Brittany said, followed by a tiny gulp. Watching her, Santana let out a sigh, finally realizing what she had to do.

"Look," she breathed, "I think I owe you an apology." Intrigued, Brittany finally allowed herself to look into the girl's eyes. She was still trying to hold back some tears, though she still couldn't explain why. The girl had done nothing wrong. "I didn't know you were trying to get back with Sam. I really-"

"I-" Brittany tried to cut her off, desperately wanting to correct the girl.

"No, it's okay. It's not my business, either. I just really wanted to apologize. Once I heard you went out to dinner with him, I felt like shit for coming on to you that strong. I should have backed off. I didn't mean to, I don't know, confuse you or anything." Santana swallowed, not realizing how hard this was going to be to say. "I don't wanna mess with you and Sam, so I'm gonna back off, because that's what you want." Santana's voice cracked on the last word.

Brittany opened her mouth but nothing was coming out. She swallowed to moisten her dry throat but it didn't help. She was still speechless.

"Sorry, again," Santana breathed as she turned for the door. Santana's heart was beating rapidly. Harder and faster than she'd ever remembered. She hadn't expected her body to react like this. Quite honestly, it was a little scary.

What was was doing was risky. Dumb, even. This feeling, this idea, this _plan_, was hit or miss. Sink or swim. Do or die. Brittany would either come back to her, or she'd let go. Forever.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

**Hope you guys enjoyed! I love all of your reviews! People wanted a jealous Brit so... ;)**

**I hope everyone has safe and happy holidays with loved ones! xoxo**

**Tumblr-slaves4hemo**


	10. Chapter 10

Walking away like that, Santana had to admit, felt a little dramatic, even for her. The pin-dropping silence of the room, accentuated by Santana's thumping heart, only added to the theatrical feel. She hadn't really _asked_ Brittany anything, but what she had just laid on the girl, Santana thought would have at least provoked _some _reaction. She had hoped maybe the girl would stop her, tell her she was wrong, that she didn't want to go out with Sam, and that she wanted to be dancing with her, not him. But Santana knew that wasn't true, she _was _on a date with Sam, and she was dancing with him. Then why did she run off to the bathroom? And why did she look like she was holding back tears?

Santana didn't dare turn around. The closer she got to the bathroom door, though, the harder the pounding in her chest got and the thicker the wall of tears behind her eyes got. She waited for the blonde's voice, or even her hand, to stop her from walking out. But it didn't come.

Brittany watched Santana's bare back as the girl practically tiptoed out of the room, almost like she was trying to minimize her presence. Brittany's lips trembled. She parted her lips and tried to push out a noise, any noise at all, but all that escaped her lips was a shaky breath. It wasn't more than a shiver, not enough to grab Santana's attention.

As the door swung shut behind Santana, the first tear reached the brim of her eyelid. _Fuck_. She couldn't even say it, she was paralyzed. She felt pathetic. She wanted more than anything to turn around, head back into the bathroom, and take back her words. To tell Brittany that she didn't want to back off, screw Sam. But she couldn't, she still had some pride left. Or at least she had to seem like she had some pride left. Instead, she picked her feet up as best as she could and made her way through the club. She felt like she had weights dragging to her legs, and she felt almost feeble. She couldn't let anyone see her, not Sam and not Quinn. She would talk to Quinn later, thank her for talking to her and trying to help. Santana made her way through the floor and headed directly up to her room.

Brittany felt sick. She was more confused than ever and she couldn't see straight. Her eyes were cloudy and her head was throbbing. Why did she feel like this? She couldn't understand anything. She had a nice night with Sam, better than nice, really. It was fun. Then she saw Santana, and everything suddenly felt upside down. Why did it bother her _that_ much to see her dancing with that girl? Why did she want it to be her instead? And most of all, why, when Santana had practically told her she was giving her space to be with Sam, did Brittany stay mute?

She hated feeling like this and she hated thinking about it. She just wanted to go to sleep.

Brittany found her way out of the bathroom and was surprised to see Sam waiting not too far outside of it. Had he seen Santana? Brittany wondered what the girl's expression looked like. She wished she had been able to call after her while she was walking away, if anything just to see her face.

"Hey," he looked a little concerned. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Brittany shook her head, looking down at her feet. She was worried if he saw her eyes, he'd know she was lying. He has known her forever. "My head's just throbbing, I think I wanna head upstairs. Need some sleep."

"Aw, Brit, I'm sorry. Do you have Advil up there?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I think."

"I'll walk you up," he offered.

"It's okay," she said, but as she took a step forward she almost fell. She wasn't dizzy, but she sure looked it.

"Woah there," he let out a breathy laugh. "I'll just make sure you get up there okay. No biggie."

"Thanks," she breathed, trying to hide a begrudging tone. She hated how nice he was being. She couldn't figure out how she was feeling about the guy and was practically faking sick to get away for the night. Sure, it wasn't entirely to get away from _him_, but that also meant she wasn't really in the mood to be with him.

They made their way out of the club and all the way to the elevator in silence. Once they were inside, Brittany felt the need to apologize to Sam for cutting his night short. He had really been looking forward to it.

"I'm- I'm really sorry about this," Brittany said softly.

"What?" He smiled. "Brit, it's fine. I'm sorry you feel crappy."

"Yeah, but I didn't mean to ruin your night." She felt awful for running off on him like that and now leaving him, but most of all, she was starting to feel sorry for maybe not wanting to stay with him.

"I had an awesome night," Sam said earnestly. "I missed just talking to you, you know. There's no one that makes me laugh like you."

"Yeah, you too," she admitted, remembering how goofy the boy was at dinner. The elevator opened and they both stepped off. Sam's room was on this floor, too, so she didn't feel bad about him walking her to her door.

"You remember that time our waiter at Tonelli's asked us which one of us was born first?" Sam burst our laughing.

"Oh my God," Brittany joined him, smile coming to her lips. "That was so awkward. I totally forgot about that!"

"So awkward," he repeated. "He wanted to know how far apart we were, too," he laughed. "I know we're both blonde, but we don't look _that_ much alike."

"I wonder how many people in public actually think we're twins?" Brittany wondered as they arrived at her room.

"My uncle used to joke with me about it, always saying you _really_ fit into the family perfectly and stuff," Sam remembered laughing. He wasn't quite done talking when they arrived so Brittany leaned her side against her door as he continued. "We gotta hang and reminisce some more," he smiled, leaning up against the door as well. "So many good times I forgot about."

"Yeah, me too," Brittany smiled, thinking back to all the laughs the two shared. Even now, Sam was making her feel so much better. But it wasn't the same as before. As she looked up at him, wondering what had changed, she felt Sam's eyes lock into hers. Everything slowed down, and she wasn't positive, but it seemed like Sam's lips were slowly getting closer to hers. She stared up, taking a moment to recognize what was happening. Sam clearly wasn't sure if it was okay, since his head was moving towards her slower than it ever had before. Brittany's heart started beating faster. But not, she noticed, in the way it had been the night before when Santana had leaned in in a similar fashion. Sam looked at Brittany's eyes once more, almost for approval, before he tilted his lips upward. A wave ran through Brittany's body, forcing her to slowly brush her lips to the side of Sam's, dodging his kiss.

"I-I" She tried to say, her eyes flitting shut. "I'm sorry," she breathed. It was all she could think to say. Sam pulled away, realizing the girl wasn't feeling it. "I just- I can't-"

"I'm sorry," he quickly shook his head. "I-I didn't mean to- I, it was just feeling like old times.. If you're not into it or ready or whatever- I'm sorry I just shouldn't have done that. I got caught up in the moment," he apologized, looking down bashfully at the ground. "I'm really sorry." His head was frantically shaking and he looked at the girl like he had just accidentally shot Lord Tubbington, her beloved cat.

"I'm sorry, Sam," she breathed, finally opening her eyes back up.

"Please don't hate me," he tried to smile. She wanted to say the same back to him, only more seriously than him.

"I could never," she sighed. "I'm just- I'm gonna go to bed," she began opening her door handle. "Sorry," she breathed, feeling even guiltier than before, since it was clear now that Sam knew where he stood with his emotions.

"Goodnight," he smiled as best he could.

"Night," she whispered back, closing her door behind her.

Santana collapsed onto her bed, unable to process anything. What the fuck was happening with her? Some girl she _just_ met and kissed one fucking time had taken over her mind. So what if the girl didn't want to kiss her again? There were plenty of other hot girls out there, why did it matter so damn much? It's not like this would go anywhere anyway. Santana didn't do relationships or feelings for that matter. The only time she ever felt anything serious for a girl, she ran the fuck away like a scared little girl as soon as things got serious. Even if Brittany had stopped Santana in the bathroom, then what? Santana wasn't looking for a girlfriend. She just liked fooling around, she always had. Yeah, maybe kissing Brittany hadn't felt _exactly_ like kissing the other girls, but that would probably just make fooling around more fun, which could end up complicating things for the girl. Plus, this would only last the month. Then Brittany would run back to Michigan and Santana would end up back in Ohio, both girls at college. And with college came more temptations. More hot girls. Santana would find other girls to hook up with there. She'd be fine. Brittany should be with Sam, they'd see each other after this and they could be a couple again, why should Santana ruin that for one month of, what, fun? She didn't need it, she'd be okay.

So then why did she feel like a weight was pulverizing her chest? She suddenly wished she had grabbed more alcohol before she left. Suddenly, she bolted off her bed and practically ripped open the mini-fridge.

"Fuck," she breathed when it became clear that all the alcohol had been removed. "Ugh, Dad!" He wasn't against her drinking, but he had to have told the resort that she was under twenty-one when he booked the room because the normal spirits present in the minibar where gone. She begrudgingly climbed back onto her bed, but not before grabbing her notebook. As soon as she opened it, though, she quickly closed it back up and tossed it across the room, the small bound book thumping into the chair. Fuck, she couldn't even write right now. She knew it would only make everything worse. She needed to stop thinking about it, about her, altogether. Then her emotions could go back to normal, and she could be back to Santana again.

She flipped through channel after channel, trying to find anything that would subdue her mind for even a few minutes. Nothing. She couldn't tell you how long she laid there for, staring at the ceiling, staring at the blank walls, fiddling with her simple silver chained necklace, but she knew at some point she had to drift off because before she knew it she was coming out of a light slumber.

"Ughhhhh!" she moaned into the side of her pillow when her eyes came into focus enough to read the clock. 2:57 AM. "What. The. Fuck."

Santana always slept through the night, sleeping was her thing. She loved to sleep. She rolled over onto her other side and shut her eyes, but she didn't feel herself dozing off. She laid there for another twenty minutes or so without any result. Fuck this, she thought. The girl climbed out of bed and started digging through her suitcase in the closet. As she searched for her phone, a light thud came from somewhere behind her. "Shit," she muttered, assuming it was a shoe from the rack above her hitting the ground. She had to call Lizzie, she'd talk sense into her, she always did. As her best friend, she'd reassure Santana that there were girls lining up back in Ohio for her, and that some girl she's known for a week didn't matter at all. She didn't care if she had to walk fifteen miles to get service, she wasn't getting any sleep tonight and she was calling the girl no matter what. The thud happened again, slightly louder this time. "Fuck," she said, covering her head. When she looked up, she didn't see any shoes missing. She turned behind her and everything seemed in place. Santana's eyebrows creased together. She peered out of the closet, looking for some sign of disturbance. She didn't see anything out of place, but as he eyes landed on the door, she realized someone must of knocked. Shit, she thought, did she wake her Dad up? Santana stood up and waited for another thud, but there was only silence. Still, she felt herself drifting towards the door. It wouldn't hurt to check. Santana slowly pulled down on the handle and cracked the door open the slightest bit. She didn't see anyone so she pulled the door open further.

"Brittany?" She spat, her face contorting a little. The blonde was walking away from the door when Santana called her name, making Brittany jump a little.

The sound of Santana's voice stunned Brittany as she turned to face the girl.

"What are you...?" Santana began to ask. The cold draft from the hallway began to hit Santana and she shivered.

"I-I'm sorry," Brittany froze, suddenly realizing how bare Santana was. The girl was only wearing a white skin tight tank top and a pair of black underwear. Brittany quickly shook her head, trying not to stare, and looked back up at Santana. "Did I- did I wake you?"

"What do you think?" Santana almost snapped. Once she saw Brittany's taken aback expression, she realized what she was doing and her stomach sank. She was putting up her guard again, just like she used to, sinking back into her bad old habits. "I- I'm sorry, no, you didn't wake me," she smiled a little, trying to ease the almost bitter air she let out for a minute. "I was actually having a little trouble sleeping," she confessed timidly.

"Same," Brittany breathed. She immediately felt stupid for saying that, since it was already obvious. "I, uh, I just wanted to maybe," Brittany paused so she could steady her breath. The more she spoke and the more air that escaped her body, the more she felt like she was forgetting how to breath. "I needed to talk to you."

"Oh?" Santana said, finally processing what was happening. It had been such a surprise at first, seeing Brittany here, that she hadn't really realized the girl was actually in front of her. The girl that was the root of her current insomniac state was right there, wanting to talk. Her stomach started to feel a little weird, not sure if it should be excited or worried. "You, um, wanna come in?"

Brittany took one look at Santana's body and what was visible of her bed behind her and gulped.

"Uh, I don't think that's a good idea," she mumbled.

"Oh," Santana said dejected. That's not good. "Okay," she tried to bounce back. "Uh, we can go somewhere else, I guess." Santana was confused.

"You should, um, maybe put some pants on," Brittany said slowly, trying not too look down. Santana giggled.

"You don't like it?" She joked, trying to ease the mood.

"No, I- don't, I," she stammered, clearly flustered.

"Relax," Santana smiled cooly. "I'm just joking. I'll put on some pants." Brittany liked how easily Santana's smile could calm her. Santana chuckled to herself when she noticed Brittany standing outside of the doorway, nervously watching the girl slip into her sweats. She wasn't sure where they were going, but in case they ended up somewhere cold, she grabbed her gray zip up hoodie and slid it on.

"Where to?" Santana asked as she stepped out of her room, making sure to grab a key on her way out. As she stepped out of the door, she slid the key into her bra so it would be secured. She noticed Brittany's eyes follow the key for a fleeting moment.

"Um, I don't know, I guess we could go to the lookout?" She proposed. "I mean, no one will be there."

"No one will be anywhere, Brit, it's three in the morning."

"True," Brittany laughed, feeling a little silly. This whole thing felt absurd to her. Sure, things were eating at her, but coming here at three a.m.? Stupid. She was so close to walking away when Santana hadn't answered her first knock. Actually, she was walking away. It was a sign, she thought. For a brief moment, her mind was made up. But but then Santana stepped out of the room. Looking like _that_ nonetheless. Who the hell looks like that at three in the morning? "This way we don't have to worry about being really quiet though," she shrugged.

The girls walked in mostly silence all the way to the lookout, Santana unsure of what to say, since she was still unclear to why Brittany was there, and Brittany nervous as hell. Santana could feel her nerves. Brittany was fiddling with the sleeves of her slightly too big crew neck sweatshirt and avoiding eye contact completely. Santana followed Brittany inside, and Brittany let out a relieved sigh when she saw that the place was, as predicted, empty. The blonde walked down the sloped hill and sat down on the exact blanket she sat on when Santana had first initiated conversation with her. Santana, smirk in place on her lips, sat on the bench a few feet away that she sat on during their first conversation. When Brittany noticed the absence of the girl's presence next to her, she looked up and giggled at Santana on the bench.

"Get over here," Brittany patted the spot next to her. "We're not doing this again," she rolled her eyes, still laughing.

"Doing what?" Santana smiled, scrunching up her nose.

"You sit up there being this _smooth_ girl and with your flirtatious act and I sit here like a frozen idiot burning under your gaze," Brittany said quickly, her face already turning slightly red.

"Oh, no," Santana smiled at the girl, the same way she had the first night. "Is that what you think I've been doing? Flirting? I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression-"

"Shut up," Brittany rolled her eyes again with a giggle. Santana liked this playful side to her. She could tell she wasn't totally relaxed, but the more they joked, the more subdued she appeared.

"It's not an act, by the way," she flirted again. Brittany simply rolled her eyes again, but Santana saw her smile.

Finally listening to the girl, Santana stood up from the bench and walked over to sit on the ground next to Brittany. Their shoulders brushed only for a quick second, but even clothed, Santana remembered how much she liked her touch.

"It's so different at night," Santana sighed, looking out at the dark mountain. There were only a few lights on the sides, so only parts of the mountain were illuminated. "It's still beautiful."

"Yeah," Brittany agreed. "I've never been here this late. Or, this early, I guess." Santana felt the corner of the mouth turn upward a little. Brittany knew she had to start talking soon and her heart picked up its pace. Santana looked over at the girl and couldn't keep it in any longer.

"Are you okay?" She asked, and realizing it wasn't exactly what she meant, added, "I mean from the bathroom today, when I walked in, you just, you seemed-"

"Yeah," Brittany shook her head. "I guess that's, uh, part of what I wanted to talk about." Santana let Brittany take her time. Her hands fell between her slightly bent legs and began twisting her silver ring around her pointer finger.

"I, um, it's about what you said," she started. Brittany's mouth started to dry out and she realized, she wasn't really sure what she wanted to say. "In the bathroom," she breathed. "First, I- I wanna say, I wasn't on a date with," she paused, "him." It felt weird to say his name out loud, she wasn't sure why, though.

"You went to dinner with him, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah," she shook her head. "But it wasn't like that, I mean," Brittany sighed, not really sure what it _was _like. Sam had tried to kiss her, clearly it had felt like a date to him. Brittany fell silent for a moment, different feelings and words and thoughts flooding her body.

"I liked kissing you," she blurted out, her eyes staying shut. Saying the words out loud made Brittany's body feel instantly lighter. Coincidentally, it did the same to Santana's. "I- I really did," she started, words pouring out. "But-"

"But you're straight," Santana sighed, trying to complete the girl's sentence for her. Brittany felt like this was a conversation Santana had had before and it made her heart hurt a little.

"What?" Brittany's forehead creased. "Well, yeah, well, I mean, no I guess not," she shrugged. "Who knows what I am!" She shook her head. "I don't really care though," she admitted, making Santana smile. The girl was so refreshing.

"So what's the but?" Santana asked, confused.

"I- I thought it wasn't fair, you know, to Sam." Santana fell quiet again, not wanting to offend Brittany. _Fuck Sam_ is what she wanted to say, though.

"Oh," she settled for, when it became apparent that Brittany was waiting for some sort of reaction from her.

"I thought I wanted to be with him, I mean, I think part of me still does?" She said, inflection in her voice. That hurt Santana more than she wanted to.

Fuck. She hated feelings. This is why she never did them.

"But tonight, or yesterday," she shook her head, remembering it was morning now, "I didn't, I mean I had fun and everything with him, but I didn't feel, you know, they way I used to." She was practically whispering at the end, like saying those words was bound to hurt someone nearby. Santana's sigh of relief was encouragement for Brittany to continue. "And then when I was dancing with him, it was all fine, I guess, until-" Brittany looked up from the view and turned towards Santana. "who was that girl?" She asked, letting her curiosity get the best of her.

"Quinn," Santana told her. "I- I just met her," she told her, trying to let Brittany know that she was just some girl. But by the look on Brittany's face, Santana felt like she had maybe just made it worse. "She asked me to dance with her because some creep was hitting on her."

"Oh," Brittany nodded. Santana wasn't sure what the girl was feeling, since her face seemed uncharacteristically stoic. "Well, watching you dance with her, with _anybody _really," Brittany said softer. "By the way, you looked good out there," she smiled, momentarily breaking the heavy mood.

"Me?" Santana scoffed. "I only caught you for a second and seriously I was blown away. You looked hot," she smirked. Her smirk quickly faded when she remembered the type of conversation they were having. "S-sorry," she quickly shook her head. She was relieved when Brittany let out a soft giggle, though.

"Thanks. Well, yeah, I don't think I really understood why it bothered me so much, you dancing with someone else. I mean, I was dancing with Sam. And you came in the bathroom and you said all that, and I couldn't even figure out what I wanted to say. So I guess I didn't say anything."

"And here we are," Santana joked. "Three A.M."

"Yeah," she let out a breathy laugh. "Sorry," she apologized.

"I told you, I was already up."

"Right," Brittany said, unsure if she actually believed the girl or not. "Well, I was thinking about what you said, it was playing over and over again in my head. Sam and me, we make sense, you know?"

Fuck. Santana didn't like where this was going. She looked back down at her hands, unable to look the girl in the eye. Why was she doing this? Why did she care what the fuck this random girl had to say? She was just one out of how many?

"I mean, we dated before. The feelings were there. He's my best friend, our families are friends, he makes me laugh, I think he's hot, he's sweet, he likes me-"

"I get it!" Santana said harshly. "Get to the point," she said a little softer.

"Sorry," Brittany said bashfully.

"No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" Santana mumbled, but Brittany had already started talking again.

"We make sense in my head. And you and me," Brittany sighed. "I mean, I don't know how these things even work. I've only ever dated Sam. And not that I'm saying I think you want a long term thing, but you're in Ohio and I'm in Michigan, so what am I gaining by having a month of, what, fun? I'd only really be losing Sam, right?"

"Right," Santana sighed, closing her eyes. Brittany was vocalizing her exact thoughts from earlier this evening, it was scary. And fuck, it hurt.

"So I went out with Sam, because that's what I thought I should do. Then that whole club scene happened, and yeah, I was confused, but then Sam walked me back up to my room. And we were acting like our old selves for a moment."

Santana honestly felt like she was going to throw up. Full on sickness, right there right then.

"And he tried to kiss me."

Santana's eyes clenched shut, like she was preparing to be hit by someone directly in the face.

"For a second, I thought I was going to kiss him back, just like I used to. But then-" she stopped. Brittany had been looking at Santana, watching her reactions, but now she looked away sheepishly, down to her slippers. "But then I- I could only think of you," she whispered so softly. Santana's eyes relaxed, like the fight had just been called off and her opponent had dropped their fists. Her stomach settled down and she took in a deep breath that somehow helped her open her eyes.

"So you- you didn't kiss him?" Santana spoke, her voice a little shakier than she realized. Brittany shook her head.

"No. Because of you. Well, not _because _of you, but, like, I couldn't not think of you when he was about to kiss me. Like I- _I wished it was you,_" she whispered so quietly it was hard to make out. Then she took a deep breath._ "_Maybe him and I are supposed to make sense, and maybe you and I aren't supposed to make _any_ sense," she paused to take another breath. "But since when does anything make sense in this world?"

Santana smiled, a soft laugh escaping her lips. Brittany was dead serious, though. She wasn't even smiling.

"I- I don't even know what any of this means, I just, I had to tell you. I couldn't sleep. And normally when I can't sleep I just eat, but I couldn't do that either! I don't know what I'm supposed to to about any of this, but I needed to tell you."

"Thanks. You know, for telling me," Santana smiled. Her heart was beating fast, in a good way, and she suddenly didn't feel so dumb for thinking about this girl so much. Maybe whatever strong, crazy connection she was feeling, however scary it was, Brittany was feeling too.

"So what do we do?" Brittany asked, thinking Santana had all the answers.

"Well what do you wanna do?" Santana laughed.

"Me?"

"Yeah, you."

"I, uh, I don't know. What do you wanna do?"

"What do I wanna do about this whole mess? Or what do I wanna do right now?"

"Uh, both," Brittany breathed, confused by the girl's answer.

"Honestly, I'm not good at this stuff either-" Brittany scoffed like it couldn't be further from the truth. "No, seriously!" Santana defended. "I'm really not. I don't know what you want to do, but I guess we'll just, I don't know, continue hanging out, and we can see what happens?" She suggested. Making decisions like this was hard for her, especially when she wasn't completely sure what she wanted. Or what she could handle.

"Can we maybe, like, keep it down low for a little? Not us hanging out, I mean like, _other stuff?_" Santana loved the way Brittany blushed when she said _other stuff_.

"Of course," Santana smiled. She got that Brittany needed some time to figure this out, especially with Sam and her family around.

"I'm not- I'm not embarrassed or anything, it's just, Sam and-"

"Hey, you don't have to explain it. It's confusing, we'll figure it out." Brittany smiled, amazed by Santana. All of her. Her softness, her graciousness, her smile, her humor, her eyes, her hair, her lips.

"Thank you," Brittany smiled. The girls fell silent, both taking in whatever their little discussion just held for them both. After almost a minute, Brittany spoke up again.

"So then, what is it you wanted to do right now?"

"Honestly?" Santana smirked. Brittany nodded, waiting for her response. "I wanna kiss you," she said, like it was the most obvious fact in the world. After the butterflies settled into Brittany's stomach, she managed, "Then what are you waiting for?"

Santana shook her head in disbelief before she slowly closed the gap between their lips. Watching Santana get closer to her, Brittany didn't feel like she did earlier that night. She was right. This was nothing like Sam. This was what she wanted. She didn't care anymore what made sense. This was right. She swore by it, and whoever disagreed was flat out wrong. Santana and her, they made sense to her. And it felt right.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

**Happy Holidays everyone! I hope you all had safe and happy holidays :) **

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! I hope you're all still liking it!**

**Let me know what you think! Xox**

**Tumblr- slaves4hemo**


	11. Chapter 11

Santana felt like she was in middle school. Well, her insides didn't feel like anything they did when she was in middle school, but the way they were kissing reminded her of when kissing was enough.

They were simple, their lips slowly taking the other's in between theirs and gently massaging it. Their tongues were gliding softly through their lips and slipping past the other's. Both of their hands appeared timid, Brittany's not wandering far from Santana's hips, while Santana's were mainly around the girl's neck, only rarely venturing down to her sides. It was timorous, like someone's first kiss, in that neither seemed to know the other's boundaries. After the series talk, Santana wasn't sure how ready Brittany really was. Brittany, on the other hand, was too shocked by the way the kiss was making her feel to move anything very much. It was a wonder she was getting her lips to kiss back.

Santana knew, from an outside perspective, they probably looked a little..._pure_, something Santana definitely wasn't used to. She'd never admit it, but it sure as hell didn't _feel_ pure. The unadulterated heat rushing through her body was thrilling. It had been at least ten minutes of this kissing, and as amazing as it was, the desire to be closer to Brittany was overtaking her. Her hands slid down the girl's sides until the reached the apex of her hips and thighs. She felt the girl's muscles tense and she quickly loosened her grip, showing the girl she wasn't going to do anything too dramatic, though she was dying too. Her fingers fell inward on Brittany's thighs a little, and Brittany felt herself shudder a little. Santana's touch did something to her. Something no one else had ever done. Santana gave her legs a little tap outward and Brittany complied, spreading her legs slightly. Without removing her lips, Santana lifted her right leg over Brittany's thigh, followed by the left. Brittany thought her heart had reached it's maximum rate when Santana was leaning in towards her, but she was proved wrong when Santana's lips hit hers, and she was being proved wrong again now as Santana lowered her body onto Brittany's. And she had a feeling this wasn't going to be the last time she'd be proved wrong.

Brittany leaned onto her back, vertebrae by vertebrae, as Santana's center, stomach, and chest came down onto her. Santana deepened the kiss and felt her stomach flutter. The feeling was intoxicating and she began to kiss a little faster. Brittany's insides were reacting so quickly, Santana's body creating a fire inside of her. The heat burned through her hands and they jolted onto Santana's lower back. Santana, much to her chagrin, let a hum escape her lips. She felt Brittany smile against her lips, pleased to know Santana she could make Santana feel similar to how the girl made her feel. Santana dug her fingers into Brittany's side, immediately eliciting a sharp guffaw from the blonde. Santana kept her mouth pressed against Brittany's through her laugh.

"Hey," Brittany mumbled, trying to stop the kissing. "What was-" Santana kissed her harder, making Brittany giggle some more. "That." Kiss. "For." Kiss.

Santana slowly pulled her lips from Brittany's, the blonde realizing immediately how much she already craved her taste. She planted a kiss on her jaw, followed by another one on her neck. Brittany shivered. Santana let out a breathy laugh against her skin, thrilled by the fact that, regardless of how Brittany was making her feel, she still had it in her to make the girl squirm.

"Oh you think that's funny?" Brittany laughed, tickling Santana back in her sides the same way Santana had done to her seconds ago. Santana's body contorted against the blonde's but she managed to keep her lips pressed to her neck. She parted her lips a little and let her tongue glide behind Brittany's ear. The girl shuddered again and let out a giggle. Keeping the neck kisses going, she let her hands find their way back to Brittany's abs and squeezed the sides, making Brittany lose control of her body. Her back arched upward, bringing her even closer to Santana. Through their laughter, both girls noticed the warmth the other's body brought to their own.

"S-san-" Brittany tried to get out through her giggles. Santana let her lips tickle the girl's neck as she dug harder at her abs. "I. C-can't. Breath!" She said between choppy laughs. As Santana laughed at the girl, Brittany contracted her muscles long enough to flip Santana onto her back in one swift motion.

Shit, Santana thought. That was hot. With a lustful look, the blonde looked down into Santana's eyes as she hovered over the girl. Santana looked up curiously, unsure of what the girl was going to do, but yearning for her body against hers. Brittany's eyebrow raised ever so slightly as a smirk grew on her lips. Brittany watched as Santana's face began to light up. Santana reached up and bunched the neckline of Brittany's T-shirt into her fists as she slowly pulled the girl's face down towards her. Brittany let the girl bring her closer, but just as her lips were about to reach Santana's, she quickly jerked her head to the girl's neck, just as Santana had done to her, and began kissing there. At the same time, her hands found their way all down Santana's body, tickling her abs first and then her thighs.

"Fuck," Santana laughed as she curled her body up in protection. It didn't stop Brittany from tickling the girl. Tears where forming in both of their eyes from laughing so hard. Santana clenched her legs shut to stop Brittany's hands from squeezing her thighs. It became clear that Santana was actually having trouble breathing, so Brittany began to slow down. As she stopped tickling, laughter still bubbling from her lips, she realized her hand was still compressed in the middle of Santana's thighs. Her face began to heat up as she realized it. Santana, on the other hand, hadn't realized yet, since she was trying to catch her breath as the feeling in her stomach came back.

"Oh," Santana realized as Brittany's eyes landed between her legs. Santana unclenched her legs with a tiny smirk and Brittany quickly retracted her hand. Bashfully, she laid herself down next to the other girl. Without thinking, Santana snuggled up right next to her. Brittany felt more butterflies enter her stomach.

"What was that for?" Santana asked, trying to sound annoyed but failing.

"You started it!" Brittany defended.

"Yeah, well," Santana sighed, unsure of what else to say. A tiny hiccup escaped her lips as her stomach shook. Brittany giggled. "See what you did?" Santana looked up at her.

"Sorry," Brittany laughed.

"No your not," Santana smiled as Brittany's arm tucked around her. This felt a little too couply for Santana, but for some reason she didn't stop it. They laid there in silence for a moment, Santana realizing her heart was beating a little faster than she would have liked to admit.

"Your lips are so soft," Brittany slipped, her face immediately reddening. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. Santana giggled a little, looking up at her.

"Yeah?" She said, sliding up and pressing the softest kiss onto Brittany's cheek. She let her lips linger around her skin for a moment as Brittany felt her heart pick up it's pace again. Santana lowered herself a little more and began nibbling lightly on Brittany's jaw. She placed tiny pecks along her jawline before licking her lips and pressing them against her bare neck. Brittany closed her eyes as she let out a shaky breath.

"Is this okay?" Santana asked slowly as she continued kissing the girl. She already knew the answer, she just wanted to hear her say it.

"Y-yeah," she breathed, her uncertainty making Santana smile. Santana's hand began lightly dragging across Brittany's stomach, the girl's t-shirt so thin she could feel every touch. As her kisses became a little sloppier, Santana's hand dragged lower. First, it dragged onto the outside of Brittany's thigh, slowly stroking up and down her leg. After a minute, though, it dragged back up to the girl's waistband. As her fingers were about to slip under, Brittany's body jolted. Santana's hand froze as Brittany turned to face the girl.

"Uh, Santana, I- um," she swallowed hard.

"Sorry," Santana shook her head, pulling her hand off of the girl's lower half.

"No, no," Brittany shook her head quickly. "It's not- I just, uh, I think I have to get back to my room. I don't want my Dad to notice I'm gone," she said. Santana didn't want to believe the girl, but for some reason, she looked really sincere.

"It's alright," Santana stood up, offering her hand down to the blonde. Brittany took it with a smile as she made her way onto her feet. Santana was planning on breaking contact, but the blonde tightened her grip and interlocked their fingers before she could let go. Santana felt chills run down her spine.

"I'm sorry," Brittany apologized as they made their way out of the lookout. Santana looked down at their hands, befuddled by what was happening.

"It's, uh, okay," she managed.

"Oh, is this not okay?" She asked panicked, looking down at their hands.

"No!" Santana was shocked at how fast she snapped. "I mean, it's fine." Brittany nodded with a tiny smile as they made it back onto the elevator. Since Santana was on the fourth floor, one below Brittany, she was the first to get off. As the door opened, Brittany let go of Santana's hand as the brunette scratched the back of her neck a little nervously. She wasn't always great with words.

"I, um- thanks for coming to talk to me," Santana smiled. "I think I'll sleep a little better now," she smiled. She wasn't sure if that was true or not, since now there was a chance she'd be up writing about this all night, but she definitely felt a thousand times better than before.

"Me too," Brittany smiled, looking down sheepishly at her feet.

"Well, goodnight," Santana breathed, unsure of what else to say. She started walking out as soon as Brittany returned her goodnight. As she stepped out, Brittany's hand quickly tugged on her wrist, pulling Santana backwards a little.

"I-" Brittany breathed nervously as Santana turned to eyed her, confused. She tugged the girls wrist again, pulling them closer. Without saying anything, she leaned down to press her lips against Santana's once more. Santana, actually feeling breathless, pressed her hips against Brittany's as her fingers landed on the sides of her waist. Brittany pulled away, a shaky sigh leaving her lips as she kept her forehead pressed to Santana's.

"Sorry, I just needed one more kiss," she confessed. Santana's grin widened as she felt her stomach do all kind of flips.

"Well, if you need anymore," Santana smirked as she stepped out of the elevator, "you know where to find me."

Brittany's face went white as the elevator doors slid shut.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

When Santana woke up, she wasn't positive if last night had been a dream or not. Once she saw that she was actually wearing sweatpants, she knew it had actually happened. Brittany had showed up at her door, taken her to the lookout, told her she was into her, and they made out a little. As she walked down to breakfast with her Dad, she knew she had a glow about her. She could tell by the way he was looking at her.

"I told you you'd like it here," he bragged.

"Shut up," she rolled her eyes. "How's Christine?" She asked, wanting to divert the conversation away from her.

"Good," he smiled. "Guess what, she plays piano, too!" He nudged her with his shoulder. "She played for me, they have a piano here, you know. I'm sure she could show you it, if you'd like," he smiled.

"I'm good," she deadpanned. Her parents made her start taking piano lessons when she was about four years old, and while she hated it then, she actually grew to like it. But now, every time she plays at home, either her mother or her father has to make some annoying compliment about how great she is or how happy they are that she's practicing or how beautiful it was or how talented she is. She's never been sure why it bothers her so much, but it always has. So she doesn't play, unless they're not home.

When they made it downstairs, Brittany's family had just sat down with Christine. Santana's father looked at Christine the same way Santana looked at Brittany. Brittany's father quickly noticed Antony and smiled.

"Hey, guys!" He smiled. "Join us, please!"

"Oh, we wouldn't want to intru-"

"Nonsense," he laughed. His laugh was almost as infectious as Brittany's, Santana noted. He stood up and walked around the table to put a chair across from Christine. As her father sat down, Santana walked down towards Brittany. She sat next to her father and across from the girl.

"Morning," Brittany smiled. Brittany couldn't relax her face muscles, seeing the girl was making her way happier than it should have.

"Good morning, how'd you sleep?" Santana asked with a slight smirk.

"Wait a minute, missy," Her father chimed in. "I didn't finish with you," he raised his eyebrows at his daughter. "Where were you?" He asked seriously.

"I told you," Brittany slurred looking down at her lap. She looked like a guilty little puppy. "I couldn't sleep so I went out for some fresh air."

"Brit," he sighed. "You should have woken me up-"

"No," she shook her head. "I'm fine! I'm going to get food," she stood up and walked away. Santana had never heard her talk with such edge. It still wasn't even the slightest bit rude, but there was a tinge of harshness in her voice. Santana was about to stand to follow when Brittany's Dad looked over at her.

"Ever since her mother's diagnosis, she hasn't been getting much sleep," he explained with a deep sigh. He looked at Santana like he realized he shouldn't be dumping something so heavy on her. Santana nodded, unsure of what else to say. "Keep an eye on her for me?" He smiled, trying to the mood light.

"Of course," she told him, and followed after Brittany to the buffet.

Diagnosis? Santana's heart was racing as she looked over at Brittany's mother, looking happy and healthy, laughing as she took a sip of her orange juice. Her heart was in the pit of her stomach. She looked over at Brittany who was smiling wide at the chef who was making a fresh batch of pancakes. She looked so happy. So okay. Santana felt sick. So sick. And her eyelids felt heavier, like she was already trying to hold back tears.

"Hey," she breathed as she came up besides Brittany. "You okay?"

"Me?" Brittany looked perplexed. However, Santana didn't miss the split second of shock behind her eyes. Brittany wasn't sure how Santana had picked up anything from that exchange with her father, most people could never tell when something was going on with her. "I'm fine," Brittany confirmed lightly. Santana just swallowed, unsure of what to say. "You want a chocolate chip pancake? That's what I'm getting," she smiled.

"Sure," Santana smiled back.

"I had fun last night," Brittany grinned, seeming a lot more confident than last night.

"Yeah, me too," she agreed. "What are you doing today?" Santana asked.

"Well my Mom set up like some spa day or something with her," she shrugged, "but she said I didn't have to go with her if I didn't wan-"

"Go," Santana quickly said. "I mean, you should go," she smiled, trying to sound a little calmer. "It would be nice."

"But I kind of, um, was hoping maybe we could hang today."

"Well what are you doing tonight? We can hang after," Santana suggested, not wanting Brittany to miss time with her Mom. She especially didn't want to be the reason for it, either.

"Well we have a family dinner but-"

"Why don't you have fun with your family, then tonight, after it all, you can sleep over in my room or something." Santana noticed Brittany's eyes widen a little and quickly added. "It doesn't have to be _that_ kind of sleepover," she shook her head with a slight smile. "I mean, we can just watch a movie and eat some junk food and talk or whatever you want."

Brittany looked the girl up and down, taking in her body, her hair, and her soft eyes. She still didn't get why this girl was being so nice to her all the time. She seemed almost perfect. Like she knew how Brittany was feeling all the time and most of all like she was okay with it. Brittany wasn't sure if she was imagining it or not, but Santana almost looked a little nervous.

"Well," Brittany murmured softly, "what if I _want_ it to be that kind of sleepover?" Santana lifted her eyebrows at the girl, trying to suppress a smirk. Brittany's heart was beating a million miles a minute and she couldn't believe she had actually said that out loud.

"Then we can do that too," Santana smiled back.

Brittany took a moment to gather herself before she replied as cooly as possibly, "Cool." Santana chuckled to herself as the chef put the pancakes on their plates.

The rest of breakfast, Santana's emotions were all over the place. Every time she looked at Brittany her stomach twitched and her excitement grew with anticipation for their night. As soon as she looked at the girl's Mom, her heart ached. She wasn't sure what was going on with her, but she knew it couldn't be good if it was making Brittany have trouble sleeping. She couldn't just bring it up, that was something Brittany had to tell her on her own. It was something big Santana felt like she hadn't earned the right to know. Not yet, at least. But she was dying to earn it. She wanted to be someone Brittany wanted to tell. The only problem was, Santana didn't know how to be that person.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

Only a few more hours and Brittany would be done dinner. Santana had killed most of my day by cleaning her room, even though it wasn't messy, buying some soda and different varieties of chips (she wasn't sure what Brittany liked) in case Brittany decided it she didn't want it to be _that_ kind of sleepover. She spent some time writing again but everything she did seemed to bore her. She was already showered and her makeup was already applied, so that eliminated the possibility of swimming or exercise. Until she could think of anything else to do, she decided to just go for a walk through the hotel. Maybe something would jump out at her.

Or rather, someone...

"Hey you," a familiar voice came from behind Santana. She turned to see the blonde with a small smile on her face wrapped in a towel. "Way to ditch me last night," she joked.

"I'm sorry," Santana shook her head, happy to see the girl again. "I wanted to find you and thank you, but things got kind of- hectic," she said, not sure what else to call what happened that night.

"So did things work out?" Quinn squinted, trying to be a little sensitive. Santana wasn't able to stop the smiling from forming on her lips. "That good, huh?" Quinn laughed. "What are you doing right now?"

"Trying to kill some time," Santana confessed.

"I'm about to go sit in the hot tub for awhile, wanna come join me for awhile?"

"I don't really have my suit on. And I already showered."

"You can put your feet in or something," she shrugged. "Or just sit in the chair next to it. I wanna hear about your night. I think you at least owe me that, after hitting and quitting," she smirked.

"Shut up," Santana laughed. "I'll go," she agreed.

Santana dipped her feet in the hot tub while spilling minor details from the night before to Quinn. She left out most of the dramatics, though, simply stating the facts that she had to. For some reason, she liked having Quinn to talk to. She never got to talk about Brittany elsewhere. Plus, Quinn didn't know Santana. Santana's friends from home would be mocking her like crazy for being so uncharacteristically "whipped." Santana wasn't whipped and she knew it, but for her, the way she talked about this girl, she knew she'd be getting shit for it.

"So you're like...together?" Quinn asked, trying to tie the story together.

"I don't think so," Santana answered a little unsure. "I mean, I think we're just gonna hang out and stuff, you know. I mean, I'm not looking for a freaking wife or anything." Quinn scoffed.

"So then what about the dude?"

"Sam?" Santana shrugged in response.

"Does he know?"

"About us? Or about Brittany not being into him?"

"Aw you're an _us!_" Quinn sang.

"Shut it," Santana rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help feel a little embarrassed that she had said that. What if Brittany had heard that, would she have been a little weirded out? "I don't know if he knows what she's feeling. I mean, she denied his kiss and stuff, and left him that night. But I don't know if he's picking up on anything yet. It is kind of early on. As for me," Santana laughed. "Honestly, I don't even think he knows I'm gay, so I don't think I'm really even on his radar."

"Sneaky," Quinn smiled. "Poor guy, he's cute."

"He's really actually pretty cool, too. It does kind of suck for him," Santana shrugged. She hadn't realized how bad she felt for him until then. It wasn't like she was taking Brittany away from him _permanently, _but she imagined how crappy it would feel to lose the girl. Especially for someone who's had her.

"So you think he's gonna keep flirting with her then?"

"Probably," Santana muttered, realizing how much that sucked. "I mean, we're not telling people about us-" Shit she did it again. "I mean, there isn't an _us_ to tell about, but I just mean that we aren't like acting like a _thing_ or anything. Not in public, at least. So unless she's able to really tell him no, he probably won't stop."

"So then you don't think he'd be into me flirting with him?" Quinn asked slowly, a small smirk on her lips. Just as quickly, Santana's lips mimicked the girl's.

"You want me to introduce you to Sam?" Santana smiled, hopeful.

"I mean, he's cute," Quinn shrugged. "Plus, maybe I could help take some of the, I don't know, pressure off of Brittany. Unless you think she'd mind-" She quickly added. Santana sure as hell hoped she wouldn't mind. She hoped Sam wouldn't matter to the girl that much, but she knew that probably wasn't completely true. You don't date someone for almost two years that you don't feel anything for.

"I- I mean _I'd_ love that, but I'm not really sure- I- you can try it?" Santana suggested, smile still on her lips.

"I'm in," Quinn shrugged. Santana smiled at the girl. Quinn was cool. And even if Sam and her didn't go anywhere, she could serve as a temporary distraction for the guy, even for a minute. If anything, it would soften the blow for him.

"So then," Quinn smiled slyly, "Are you nervous for tonight?"

"Why would I be nervous for tonight?" Santana asked with a straight face, even though her stomach was hit with a ball of nerves at the mention of that night.

"Well you said she's sleeping over, didn't you? That's like kind of a big deal. First night together, right?"

"Well, yeah," Santana shrugged.

"So you probably don't wanna mess anything up. You know, do something she doesn't like or something like that. I mean, you guys are pretty new."

"You're not helping," Santana mumbled.

"So you are nervous, then?" She grinned.

"I don't get nervous," Santana said impassively. Well, she never _used_ to.

"Oh yeah? Is that why you've practically bitten all you fingernails off? Or is that for another reason?" Quinn teased.

"Bad habit," Santana tried to act annoyed, but she couldn't help but smirk back at the girl. Their banter reminded her of her old friend time and her. She liked it, having someone willing to tease her without being terrified.

"You'll be fine," Quinn said, finally being positive. "I mean, if she's leaving Sam for you after all that time, there's gotta be a reason."

Santana smiled. She hadn't really thought about that all that much. She had only met this girl a week ago, and she was willing to take a chance with her for a _month_ over rekindling with someone she has a big history with. That's gotta mean something, right? Even if she hadn't told Santana about her mother, that doesn't mean she didn't _want _to. It probably just hadn't come up yet. At least, that's what Santana hoped.

It scared Santana, thinking about this so much. Why did she care if Brittany did or didn't want to tell her about her life. Didn't Santana just want to mess around with the girl, maybe share a few laughs, just like she did with all the other girls? She _wished_ that was all she wanted, but deep, deep, down, she knew that was the furthest thing from the truth.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_


	12. Chapter 12

Santana had already changed her sleepwear three times, eventually landing on plaid pair of red pajama pants and a tight white tank top. She wanted to look good, sure, but she also didn't want to look like she was trying too hard. This was just a sleepover, after all. It was a little after eight, Brittany would probably be there any minute. Santana made sure everything was in it's place, nothing too embarrassing laying around. Maybe this outfit wasn't right, she thought, looking herself over in the mirror once more. Before she had time to find something else, someone knocked on her door. Santana quickly flattened out her hair- the hair she had spent almost an hour on trying to make look _natural_.

"Oh, hey?" Santana breathed, shocked, and a little relieved, to see her Dad standing at the door. Her nerves settled. She hated being nervous. It wasn't her.

"Hey, sweetie, you wanna go grab some ice cream?"

"Dad," Santana shook her head. "I can't, Brittany's coming over. I'm sorry, You could call Christine?" She felt kind of bad, her father and her hadn't really seen each other much these past few days.

"Brittany?" Her Dad smiled, his eyebrows perking up at his daughter.

"Dad," she rolled her eyes.

"No," he shook his head with a smile. "That's great! I'm glad you've made a friend." Santana noticed he said the word friend a little louder than the rest of the sentence. Santana just eyed the man. "Just, be careful, okay?" He leaned in to whisper a little. He was always being protective of his daughter, but in this case, Santana felt like it wasn't her he was trying to protect. It felt almost like he was worried about Brittany or something.

"Don't worry," Santana sighed. She was doing that enough for the two of them. Santana always seemed to hurt people. She'd put up her wall, be her bitchy self, and leave those who cared. That's what she did, and her Dad knew it. That's probably why he was warning her. Her parents and her best friend, Lizzie, were the only people she'd never really left at some point in time. But for whatever reason, the _thought _of hurting Brittany hurt Santana more than it had when she had actually hurt someone in the past.

"I trust you," he smiled. "Have fun. And behave," he joked. Santana rolled her eyes again and was about to tell him how immature he was when her father suddenly turned his attention to something down the hall.

"Hey there!" He smiled. "You look lovely!" Must be Christine, Santana thought. But Brittany's quiet yet cheerful thank you gave her away. Santana immediately stuck her head out of her hotel room.

"Hey," she quickly said, remembering to breath. The girl hadn't changed from dinner yet. Her blonde hair was parted to the side, falling onto her bare shoulders. She was wearing a simple black strapless dress. The material was casual, like a sundress, but she still looked stunning.

"My bad, I didn't know this was a formal sleepover," Santana joked. Brittany felt her cheeks began to blush. She was worried showing up like this was a little weird, but she didn't want to waste any time changing. She had been waiting to see Santana all night.

"Sorry-"

"I'm just messing," Santana smiled when she realized Brittany looked genuinely frazzled.

"Have a good evening, girls," Mr. Lopez laughed. "I'm gonna head down to get a drink or something."

"Night Dad," Santana said as Brittany added a quite "bye." Santana helped the door open as Brittany took a step inside and looked around nervously, unsure of where to sit.

"I brought these," Brittany mumbled, holding up a plastic bag Santana hadn't really taken in. She pulled out a bag of sour cream and onion chips and a bag of plain potato chips. Just like Santana, Brittany hadn't been sure what the girl would like.

"Oh, thanks," Santana smiled, you can put them over there. She pointed to next to the TV where Santana had set up three bags of chips, two of which Brittany was holding. The other flavor was barbecue.

"I wasn't sure what you liked," Santana confessed bashfully. But she was a little less embarrassed now that Brittany had done the same.

"Same," Brittany giggled, noticeably relaxing. Both girls took a moment to take in the other one. They were completely alone in a bedroom and they had the entire night to be together, no parents, no Sam.

"Seriously, though," Santana said now that her Dad wasn't around. "You look really pretty." Brittany's stomach fluttered at the girl's words. They were soft and she could tell Santana wasn't lying, she actually thought that.

"Thanks," Brittany said, looking at the girl's pajamas. Brittany wondered how the girl could look so cute yet utterly sexy at the same time. "I wanted to change, but I, you know, also wanted to see you," Brittany feebly confessed. Santana didn't want to feel so special, but she did.

"I'm glad you didn't," Santana let herself sound just as week for a moment. "You can borrow some of my PJs if you want," she said, back to her normal confidence.

"Yeah, thanks," Brittany nodded. Honestly, that had been what she was hoping for. After being so close to Santana yesterday, she couldn't get the girl's scent out of her head, along with everything else about her. Santana kneeled below the TV and opened her pajama drawer.

"Here's a t-shirt," she said without turning around, tossing the plain white T to the girl behind her. She searched for her pair of yellow stripped boxers, the shortest pair she owned. She knew how cute Brittany would look in them. "Is this alright?" She asked when she pulled them out of her drawer, turning around to face Brittany.

Santana's stomach contracted as she tried to catch her heart from falling even deeper in her chest. Brittany was standing right in front of her wearing nothing but a hot pink bra with plain black underwear. She must have had the bra straps hidden in her dress, Santana noticed. She was gripping the white shirt as she bent down slightly to grab the pair of boxers from Santana. Brittany let out a breathy laugh when she had to tug lightly to get the shorts out of Santana's hand.

"They're fine," she smiled. "Thanks." She felt Santana's eyes fall down her body. She liked making the girl a little quiet, she always seemed so confident and bold. As Brittany prepared to step into her shorts, Santana quickly rose to her feet. Her body felt hot as she walked closer to the blonde. Brittany froze as she saw the brunette approaching her. Santana stopped when her body was barely an inch away from Brittany's and smirked at the girl's dumbfounded expression.

"What?" Santana breathed. "Did you really think I'd be able to keep my hands off of you when you practically just stripped for me?" Brittany pushed out a breath as she looked down speechless at the girl's hands landing on her hips. Brittany knew taking off clothes wasn't going to go unnoticed, but she thought she'd just put her shorts on quickly and her and Santana would settle in a little before, you know, _this_ happened. Brittany shuddered when Santana's lips landed softly on her collarbone. Her lips parted slightly as she took in a little more skin. She wasn't sucking, just planting soft, featherlight kisses along her collarbone. She made her way up the girl's neck and stopped for a minute at a spot below her ear that seemed to make Brittany shiver. She began sucking a little when she realized how crazy it was driving Brittany who had, without realizing, begun balling up the bottom of Santana's tank top in her fists. Brittany's heart was banging hard against her chest and she was praying Santana couldn't feel it. It was going so fast it was embarrassing, she knew Santana would think she was some sort of prude, something that was far from the truth. Brittany had never felt so timid with someone, yet so willing. Even Sam who used to fill her stomach with butterflies never shut her down like this. Santana slowly pulled her lips off of the girls neck and looked into her eyes, bluer than ever. Brittany needed to kiss her. She needed her lips against hers. As Brittany leaned in though, Santana simply brought her lips to the other side of her neck, tasting more of her skin. Brittany felt Santana smirk against her as she let out a quiet yet frustrated groan. Without breaking contact from the girl's skin, Santana slowly helped Brittany lower herself onto the bed. Brittany was already throbbing between her legs and she was yearning for Santana's kiss. Santana wasn't having it, though. She hardened the pressure of her lips against her neck, aggressively kissing her neck. The more she tasted, the more she wanted to taste. She couldn't take in enough of her. Santana noticed her breath was beginning to pick up, but she didn't care. She adjusted herself so she was straddling the girl, their bodies pressed up against each other.

Suddenly, Brittany couldn't take it anymore and twisted her body around so both the girls were sideways. She grabbed Santana's face in between her hands and leaned in, taking Santana's lips in hers.

"Hmm," Brittany hummed against the girl. Santana would have smiled, but Brittany's lips on hers made her freeze for a moment. The feeling was scary, but it was also intoxicating. Not to mention, the way Brittany took charge like that, it fucking turned her on. Almost reading her mind, Brittany flipped her fully onto her back, straddling the girl's hips, and deepened the kiss. Santana wrapped her legs around Brittany's waist, lifting her center up into her. She was throbbing now and she needed the girl against her. Brittany noticed and pressed herself down into her. Santana couldn't help but notice how good Brittany was at kissing. Her lips felt perfect against Santana's. Santana lowered her legs a little, placing her hands on the space on her hips where her legs had just been. She pulled Brittany lower and guided her hips, rocking them into her. Santana couldn't help the moan coming from her lips. As Santana picked up the pace, Brittany realized what she was doing. She needed relief. A knot of nerves untied in the pit of Brittany's stomach.

"I-I'm sorry," she let out a heavy breath, her hips still grinding into Santana's. Their lips didn't really pull apart, they just spoke against each other.

"Wha-?" Santana breathed, worried she had moved too fast with the girl. Was this not okay?

"I- I don't know how-" Even through her heavy breaths Santana could sense the apprehension in her voice.

"You're doing great," she told her. She was doing way more than great, Santana thought. Brittany shook her head though, that wasn't what she meant. For a split second, Santana wanted to ask what she didn't know how to do, but just as quickly it hit her. She lowered her hips as she pulled her lips off from Brittany's the slightest bit.

"Oh," she breathed, relaxing her grip on the girl.

"I'm sorry, I- I'm sorry I never-" Brittany mumbled as humiliation washed over her.

"No, don't worry," Santana shook her head, a slight smile creeping onto her lips. It was kind of cute. "Is this why you left so suddenly last night?" She asked when her breath settled down. She tried her best to ignore the burning throb between her legs. "You were nervous?"

"No," Brittany quickly shook her head. "Well, yeah, I guess partly. But I, I knew if we stayed, we'd probably, you know, _do _something, something like this, and I like to, um, cuddle," she whispered, "after sex." Santana pulled away to get a better look at the now completely red in the face blonde. It was honestly the cutest thing Santana had ever heard and by her awed expression, she wasn't even trying to hide it.

"It's silly," Brittany mumbled to herself.

"No," Santana quickly shook her head. But Santana knew if anyone else had said that, she probably would have thought it was. But coming from Brittany's lips, and being _about_ Santana, the girl thought it was beautiful. "It's not. At all." Santana leaned down to give Brittany a soft, just because, kiss. Just because she looked beautiful. And vulnerable. So vulnerable that it almost made Santana want to be vulnerable, too.

Brittany giggled lightly at Santana's kiss, reacting to the fact that it made her entire body tingle.

"We can cuddle," Santana smiled as Brittany felt relief wash over her. "You still nervous?" Brittany didn't want to admit that she was, but she couldn't help the slightly panicky feeling inside of her.

"A little," she muttered. Santana leaned down, planting the familiar soft kiss onto Brittany's neck. She leaned back up to look at her.

"How 'bout this," she started, planting a kiss on the girl's jawline. "You don't worry about _anything_." Another kiss. "I'll take care of you," she whispered with a slight smirk as she placed another kiss along her neck. "You don't have to do anything." Kiss. "You can, you know, take notes." Her raspy whisper made Brittany's body shiver and she suddenly couldn't feel her limps. "How's that sound?" Longer kiss. "That alright?" She pulled her lips away from the girl's neck and looked back at Brittany who still hadn't answered. Santana smiled smugly at Brittany's practically paralyzed expression. Brittany wanted desperately to tell the girl yes, give her full access to her body, but she couldn't do as much as get a nod out. She just stared, doe-eyed at the seemingly perfect girl. Brittany wanted more than anything to pleasure the girl, but doing it first, it was, simply put, intimidating as hell.

"Yes?" Santana asked once more before Brittany finally managed to nod, not just once but multiple times. As Santana began kissing her neck again, Brittany felt the overwhelming need to be even closer to the girl.

"Wait," she breathed, sinking Santana's heart. She thought Brittany was taking back her free reign pass. But then Brittany tugged at Santana's tank top and Santana smirked down at the girl. In less than five seconds, Santana's top was off and her pants were already at her ankles. Both of their hearts racing with adrenaline, Santana placed her legs on either side of Brittany's hips as she lowered her front onto the girl. She let her lips wander down her collarbone, across her neck, and down to her chest. Against her lips, she could feel the slight thumping of Brittany's heart and was immediately relieved that she wasn't the only one feeling this. As her lips hit the beginning of her chest, Brittany's back arched upward, pressing her center into Santana's. _Already? _Santana thought with a smirk. Who was she kidding, she hadn't lasted much longer. Santana quickly slid her lips back up Brittany's body and kissed her again on the mouth. She kissed her for a minute there, tongues sliding in and out, Brittany's hips still pressing upward. Santana's hand began dragging down Brittany's abs, stopping for a moment to brush her nails around the toned skin. Brittany let out a soft grunt as she reached down and grabbed Santana's hand, shoving it under the the waistband of her underwear. Santana smiled against Brittany's mouth, loving that she was driving the girl crazy. As her fingers slipped through her folds for the first time, Brittany's lower half shook. Brittany thought she was going to explode right then, just at her touch. She took Santana's lower lip in between her teeth, tugging on it slightly, trying to keep herself from moaning too loudly. Santana felt fucking high. Nobody had turned her on this much just from simply being turned on. Santana slid her fingers lower, shocked by the girl's wetness. She knew she wasn't far off from the girl, but she hadn't quite realized just _how much_ Brittany was loving this.

"Fuck," Brittany shook, releasing Santana's lower lip. She turned her head as Santana's lips fell onto her neck. Brittany was feeling so much that she almost felt numb. The lips on her neck, the girl's bare body against hers, and her fingers making small circles against her. She felt like every feeling she had ever felt was bottled up and right now, as Santana's fingers began moving faster, Santana was about to make them all explode.

"Oh my," she shuddered, her eyes clenching shut. Santana slipped her fingers lower again before gently sliding a finger inside of Brittany. Brittany's muscles clenched as her body flooded with heat. She thought she had reached maximum pleasure when Santana slipped another finger inside. "Fuck!" She said again, this time louder. Santana began pushing them further inside, slowly at first, then faster. Brittany felt herself getting closer, and her breathing picked up. Santana began sliding her tongue along her jaw, only speeding up the process. Brittany's hips began pushing down on Santana's fingers, slowly at first, then harder and faster. Santana was loving it, and it was clear to her that Brittany was too. To send the girl over the edge, Santana's fingers began to spread apart, feeling the warm walls of Brittany's insides.

"Oh fuck!" She moaned, her voice cracking as her walls closed in on Santana's hand. Santana felt the girl tightening around her and spread her fingers a little further, making Brittany let out one last high pitch moan before her entire body relaxed.

Both girls were panting frantically as Santana slowly removed her fingers from the girl. Brittany's face, though already red and hot, began getting red for an entirely different reason. She had never felt like that from just _fingers_. She had never cursed like that, either. In all the times her and Sam had, you know, she didn't think she'd ever said the F word.

"Wow," she whispered as her breathing settled down.

Santana licked her lips before gently pressing them against Brittany's skin. Santana kept her eyes shut, taking in everything.

"That was-" Brittany tried to compliment the girl but she couldn't formulate any words. "I- Let me- I can do you?" She tried to offer, but her voice still wasn't steady and her entire body felt like jello.

"Don't worry," Santana breathed, smiling in the crook of the girl's neck. "You can make it up to me next time." She knew the girl needed time to take that in, and the truth was, so did Santana. She wasn't sure why pleasuring someone _else _ had pleasured her so much.

"No, I can-"

"Shh," Santana hushed the girl. "Just relax."

Brittany had never felt so calm in her life, even though her rapid heart rate said otherwise. She nodded, unable to say thank you out loud.

Brittany felt her heart sink as Santana detached herself from Brittany's body. All she wanted to do was be close to the girl. Santana crawled up to the top of the bed and began lifting the covers up.

"What are you-?" Brittany started to ask as Santana slid under the covers. Santana sat up against the pillows and patted the spot next to her.

"You said you wanted to cuddle, didn't you?"

"Oh," Brittany whispered almost inaudibly. She quickly rushed up to the spot next to Santana, slipping her body under the covers. Santana spread her arm open and Brittany hesitantly slid her body into her. Santana pulled her closer and Brittany let her head rest on the top of Santana's chest, her arm wrapping around the girl's naked stomach. Santana pulled the covers over them and Brittany couldn't help her leg from wrapping over Santana's thigh.

"Thanks," Brittany whispered.

"See?" Santana joked softly. "It wasn't that bad, was it?" She watched Brittany's lips curl into a smile.

"I've never- that was-" she stopped. "You're good at that," she settled for, suddenly grateful she wasn't looking the girl in the eyes. To distract herself, she let her middle and pointer finger gently drag in tiny circles over Santana's abs. Her skin was soft and hot.

"Thanks," Santana let out a little giggle. "Lots of practice." Brittany felt herself heat up. She knew Santana had been with other girls, if not obvious enough from what had just taken place, but part of Brittany felt irrationally jealous of them.

"Have there been a lot of girls?" Brittany asked softly. She wanted to ask if there had been a lot of _other_ girls, but she tried her best to seem impersonal. She felt Santana's shoulders shrug.

"I'm not really a _relationship_ kind of girl," she admitted, and for whatever reason, Brittany felt her stomach contort.

"So you've never had a girlfriend?" Santana didn't normally like talking about this stuff, but Brittany's gentle voice was making her speak.

"Her name's Riley," Santana spoke without meaning to. "I spent practically two years trying to deny my feelings for the girl, then my junior year she finally convinced me to make it serious. I, you know, I really liked her and everything, but, I don't know," Santana breathed. But she did know. She knew exactly what had happened. Feelings got serious and Santana freaked the fuck out. She didn't want to get hurt so she got out of there before things got worse. "I just am not great with feelings and shit," Santana settled for.

"Oh," Brittany breathed, unsure of how else to respond. "Do you ever regret it? You know, it not working out?" Santana gulped hard. She regretted it everyday. Well, everyday until... Brittany.

"Everday," she whispered in disbelief. She couldn't believe she was talking. Brittany gave Santana's collarbone a soft kiss, hoping it would ease some of the girl's visible pain.

"I don't normally tell people about this," Santana confessed. Brittany sat up a little and adjusted her neck so she was looking up at Santana.

"Yeah?" She smiled. Santana nodded.

"And by normally I mean never," she laughed. Brittany leaned in slowly and gave Santana the softest, most gentle kiss yet. Her lips were barely pressing against the girl's, yet electric currents were still running through both of them. They held it for some time before Brittany pulled away with a small "Thank you." Then she tucked herself back into Santana's body. They laid there quietly for a minute or so.

"So then the other girls?"

"Just hook ups," Santana shrugged. "Nothing serious, never any feelings really." Almost as if Santana could sense Brittany's apprehension right away, she quickly added, "I- I like you. I like talking to you and being with you and, you know, kissing and stuff. I don't want you to think that I'm just, you know, trying to hook up." Brittany smiled. She could feel Santana's heart pounding against her temple. She knew it was hard for her to say any of that, so Brittany settled for, "I like you, too" and dropped the conversation.

Both girl's laid there feeling exceedingly happy. Santana couldn't remember a time when she felt like this. Her blood was burning, her heart was racing, and her body was tingling.

"Can I ask you something?" Brittany finally broke the silence.

"Yeah, sure." Santana's fingers were trailing up and down Brittany's shoulder.

"Are you gonna write about this?"

"What?" Santana practically laughed, but her face was heating up.

"Are you?"

"Probably," Santana said honestly. "Wouldn't you?" Santana asked. "You know, if you wrote about your day and stuff, wouldn't you write about this?" Suddenly, Santana was worried she had said the wrong thing. Maybe Brittany wouldn't write about this, maybe it wasn't as big of a deal as she thought.

"Pages," Brittany confessed. Santana's body flushed and she felt butterflies multiply.

They fell silent again for awhile, their hands lightly feeling the other's skin. Santana stared down at Brittany's head on her chest. It felt so...right. It freaked her the fuck out, but for some reason, she didn't stop it. Maybe she liked it too much, she thought. There wasn't really much more of an explanation. She couldn't help but notice how happy Brittany looked there, too. Peaceful, even. She always looked like that, though. Santana's mind flipped to Brittany's Mom. Mr. Pierce's words floated through her mind.

_Ever since her mother's diagnosis, she hasn't been getting much sleep. _

The girl was clearly in pain, she had to be. She wasn't sleeping and her Mother was sick or something. Yet she looked like nothing was wrong, ever. It was really admirable, actually.

"Hey Brit," Santana breathed. Brittany smiled at first, hearing the girl call her Brit. Then she could sense some nerves in the girl's voice and it made her a little uneasy.

"Hm?"

"I just, I wanted to let you know, I know we haven't know each other very long but, if you ever want to talk about anything, I'm here. Anything," Santana added.

"I hate Michigan," Brittany blurted out, then quickly bit her tongue when she realized what she was saying. Santana had just been so nice, offering to be there for the girl and, Brittany didn't know, it just made her spill it. There were about five thousand other things Brittany could list that she wanted Santana to know, and that's what came out. She wanted Santana to know everything about her, she guessed this was just apart of it.

"Your home?" Santana asked. She wasn't expecting that response. She was hoping she was ready to hear about Brittany's mother, but she guessed it wasn't time yet. She was glad, though, that Brittany trusted her with anything at all.

"No, no," Brittany shook her head. "Never mind I-"

"No," Santana said softly. Whatever her voice was laced with made Brittany relax. She took a deep breath.

"College," she sighed. "The schools amazing, the people are great, and I'm having an okay time, I guess. I just- I don't _belong_ there, you know?" Brittany felt like tears were gonna build up soon, and she had no clue why. She almost felt like there was something deeper, something underneath all of it, that was making her sad. "I want to dance," Brittany shook her head. Santana noticed the girl's voice getting quieter so she tightened her grip on the girl. "I like being close to home, and I- I don't know, my parents are so proud but-"

"You're not happy," Santana understood.

"Yeah," Brittany admitted. "I mean, I'm not _sad, _but I know I'd be a lot happier somewhere else."

Without thinking, Santana leaned down ever so slightly and planted a soft kiss on the top of Brittany's head.

"When I was looking at colleges, I got accepted to a bunch of school's dance programs. Arizona State, NYU, Indiana, Ohio State. I still had to get into the schools though, so that crossed out NYU, didn't have the grades. The other ones were all up in the air. I wanted to dance, though. But my parents, I knew they wanted me to try _school_ school. And when they told me they could help me get into Michigan, you know, because of alumni connections and stuff, I knew that's what they wanted. They weren't trying to pressure me, but I hate letting them down. So I just- I said yes."

"You're an amazing girl, you know that?" Santana let out. Brittany closed her eyes, feeling incredible from the girl holding her and broken from real life. None of this, with Santana, felt real. It couldn't be, it was too perfect.

"I-I'm sorry," Brittany shook her head. "I didn't mean to-"

"Don't apologize," Santana stopped her. "I told you, I'm here to listen. I don't know if you want to hear what I have to say, but I think, from what I've seen, your parents seem pretty cool and understanding. Most importantly, though, they love you, and they'd wanna see you happy. I don't know, just what I'm thinking," she said.

Brittany couldn't remember a time when she felt this comforted, relieved even. She slid up the girl's body again and took her cheek into her hand.

"Thank you," she smiled, giving her another soft kiss. Santana didn't usually kiss people like this, softly, and with feeling. But she had to admit, right now, it was probably her favorite thing ever.

Brittany adjusted her body so her head was buried into the crook of Santana's neck. She was breathing in, slowly, taking in the girl's scent. Her warm breath tickled Santana.

She hardly noticed, though. All she could think about was the beautiful girl in her arms. It was happening again. Riley all over again, intensified by a million. But this time, she swore, she wouldn't mess it up.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

**Hey guys! Hope you're all still liking it! Thanks for reading and reviewing! I love hearing what you guys think.**

**I hope everyone's holidays are great and I hope you all have a happy new year! xx :)**

**Tumblr- slaves4hemo**


	13. Chapter 13

Brittany woke up first, head nuzzling into what she thought was her pillow. She suddenly froze when she felt her forehead brush against the girl's chest.

"Mmm," Santana hummed, not completely coming out of unconsciousness. Brittany closed her eyes again, letting Santana's skin spread warmth through her body. She smiled thinking about last night. Santana had made her feel like she never remembered feeling before. Not just physically, but emotionally, too. Something about her kiss, her touch, did something to Brittany that Sam had never done. Her skin boiled in the best way possible, her stomach flipped and she felt like she was constantly floating. There was the heat of pure attraction, but Brittany knew she felt more than that. Much more. And then, to make it even better, Santana was so sweet afterwards. Cuddling and talking. She even told Brittany she liked her, settling some of Brittany's qualms. Sure, Brittany was still nervous around the girl, but who wouldn't be? Look at her, Brittany thought as her eyes fell upward on the girl. She was honestly the most beautiful girl Brittany had ever seen.

This all felt a little crazy to Brittany, developing feelings this fast. It couldn't happen this fast, could it?

"Mm- morning," Santana croaked. Brittany's body chilled at how sexy Santana's voice sounded when waking up.

"Morning," Brittany breathed back, unsure if she was supposed to get off the girl's chest or not. She just looked up at the brown eyes, trying her best to read them. Even if she was supposed to get up, though, she couldn't. It felt too nice.

Santana smiled down at Brittany, a little surprised to wake up in the same position as they had fallen asleep in. Santana wasn't always great at staying put during her slumber- she must have been comfortable. As her eyes locked into Brittany's, the blue eyes began wavering slightly from hers, and Santana began to panic.

Fuck, she thought, she ruined it already. Just like she ruins everything. She moved to fast. Brittany was uncomfortable now and Santana was back to being alone, just like she had expected. Santana scolded herself for thinking that. She _was_ alone, her and Brittany had just met and they only had, what, a little more than two weeks left together?

"What's wrong?" Santana finally managed to ask as she noticed Brittany's face heating up.

"N-nothing," Brittany shook her head, trying her best to look Santana in the eye. Doing so only made her face heat up more, though. "Sorry, you're just- you're just so pretty. I mean, you just woke up," Brittany began laughing a little in disbelief. She was sure she had never looked nearly half as pretty as the brunette did right now.

For the first time, Santana realized, she didn't feel self-conscious waking up with somebody. Usually, her first thought was about her disheveled hair, her morning breath, or smudged eye makeup. But right now, waking up with Brittany, she hadn't thought about her appearance once. She just felt pretty.

"So did you," Santana smiled down. In a weird way, it almost felt hard to breath, but she didn't mind one bit.

Neither girl wanted to move. It was like right then, inside Santana's locked room, they were free. They both knew leaving the room, there'd be complications for both of them. Things weren't as simple as they seemed right now and they both were fully aware of it.

Brittany heard Santana's stomach growl through her ear pressed to the girl's chest. Santana mentally cursed herself for not snacking on some chips before bedtime.

"You wanna go eat?" Brittany offered.

"No, I'm good where we are," Santana smiled down as Brittany let herself relax against her. Another minute of blissful peace passed for the girls before Santana's stomach growled again, this time twice as loud as before. Santana's face began to heat up as she let out a growl similar to that of her stomach, though she wasn't sure if it was more from embarrassment or anger.

"It's okay," Brittany giggled. "We can grab something to eat together," she offered. "We'll do this again," she said, but quickly realized she wasn't sure if that was true. "Right?" She asked immediately after.

"We better," Santana smirked, following Brittany off the bed. It was impossible for either girl to not steal fleeting glances at the other's body.

Brittany found the white shirt Santana had given her last night that she never got the chance to put on.

"You want sweats?" Santana asked as she herself slipped into a pair.

"Sure," Brittany shrugged. Honestly, the girl could have asked her if she wanted to drink a bottle of acid and she would have gone along with it.

By the time they made it downstairs, breakfast was kind of crowded. It was earlier than they thought, but both felt well rested.

"Just one moment," the hostess, who looked exceedingly flustered held up a finger.

"I think I want waffles," Brittany smiled. Santana wasn't sure why the girl's random thoughts like this made her giggle, but they did. They always sounded cute and they made her feel like she could trust Brittany since she clearly said whatever was on her mind.

"Hey," a voice from behind made Brittany's neck hair perk up.

"Sam," she turned. She looked guilty, just like she had when her parents caught her trying to sneak out of her window last summer. "Hey." Brittany wasn't sure why her face was so red, or why she felt so frazzled.

"Hey Santana," he smiled. "You guys grabbing breakfast?"

"Yeah, how about you?" Brittany asked. "Where's your family."

"They already ate," he told them. "They let me sleep in some."

"Oh," Brittany said weakly. She knew this was where she was supposed to invite him to join them, but she didn't want to. And she hated that she didn't want to. It wasn't like Brittany to exclude people, especially friends. But she wanted to be alone with Santana. There was so much she still didn't know about the girl.

"Hey Santana," a girl's voice interrupted Brittany's thoughts.

"Oh, hey Quinn," Santana smiled as the blonde walked up to the group of three. Santana and three attractive blondes. At any other point in Santana's life, she swore this would have been some kinky dream come true.

Looking at the blonde, Brittany couldn't figure out where she knew the girl from, but she knew she had seen her before. Probably, she decided, from walking around the resort one of these years.

"You alone too?" Santana asked. Brittany smiled at the slightest hint of a sigh in Santana's voice.

"Yeah," Quinn shrugged like it was no big deal. Brittany thought the girl probably at breakfast alone quite often. It kind of made her sad.

"Why don't you guys just join us then?" Santana shrugged. Sam and Quinn looked at each other, Quinn's eyes immediately easing up. Both of them nodded. "Oh, Sam this is Quinn, Quinn this is Sam," she pointed out. She suddenly remembered Quinn's hint at interest, or maybe willingness to distract the boy for some time, and smiled at the thought. "Oh and Quinn, this is Brittany," she smiled.

"Hey," Quinn smiled, trying her best to hold back a smirk.

"Oh," Santana got a hold of the hostess. "Table for four now." The girl nodded, quickly shuffling through more papers. Santana peaked behind her and realized it really wasn't _that_ crowded.

"Sorry, it's my first day," she feebly smiled. Santana just nodded and turned around to hide an eye roll.

"I would have never guessed," she said sarcastically under her breath. Sam chuckled to himself as the hostess finally got her act together.

"This way," she smiled. Sam somehow ended up walking besides Santana.

"Is Quinn an old friend?" He asked.

"No," Santana smiled. "Just met her here. She's really cool," she added, deciding she should do as much as she can to speed up the process. Sam just nodded indifferently, though.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Quinn told Brittany. "I've heard a lot about you from that one," she nodded towards Santana.

"Really?" Brittany whispered a little too quickly.

"By the way," Quinn whispered back. "Sorry if I made you a little jealous," Quinn said sincerely. "I needed Santana's help getting rid of a guy, and, well I think we got a little carried away. We didn't mean to hurt you or anything."

Oh. It hit Brittany right in the stomach. Quinn. The pretty blonde. The one dancing with Santana. She felt sick for a second, but quickly remembered her night and suddenly didn't feel so crappy.

"She really likes you," Quinn added earnestly, trying her best not to upset the girl.

Butterflies. Even hearing it from someone else, someone she didn't even know, made Brittany's stomach flip.

"No worries," Brittany smiled. "And thanks," she added. She wasn't sure why she said it at first, but part of her felt the need to thank the girl. If she hadn't been dancing with Santana, who knows how long it would have taken Brittany to realize how much she liked the girl. Maybe she would have kissed Sam that night. And then she would have been in the middle of an even bigger mess.

As they were all about to sit down, Brittany suddenly grabbed Quinn's arm and pulled her back for a second.

"You mind not saying anything about, you know, Santana and me in front of Sam. I haven't really, um, explained anything yet," Brittany squinted, pleading present in her voice. Saying _Santana and me_ made Brittany's heart skip a beat. She liked that.

"Oh, yeah, of course," Quinn nodded and deliberately took the seat next to Sam, giving Brittany her seat next to Santana.

"I can't wait anymore!" Brittany squealed as soon as she sat down, jumping to her feet. "I need my waffle!" As she stormed off to the buffet, Sam stood up laughing to follow her.

"She's cute," Quinn smiled. "How'd it go?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Santana smirked.

"That good, huh?" Quinn laughed. Santana just rolled her eyes. "So when you two gonna make it official? Otherwise I'm never gonna get the chance to move in on blondie," She laughed, referring to Sam. Official. The word made Santana's insides turn.

"I-I'm sure she'll tell him soon," Santana stuttered.

"Woah, relax," Quinn smirked at the girl's uneasiness. "I didn't ask when you were proposing," she laughed.

"_Ha ha_," she rolled her eyes, but she knew Quinn was right. She needed to chill the fuck out. "Let's go get food," Santana stood up, trying to get off the subject as soon as possible. Quinn followed with a light laugh.

"So what'd you do last night?" Sam asked as Brittany waited for her waffle to finish in the iron. She felt her body flush at his words. Did he know? Shit. She took a deep breath and looked up at his genuine eyes. He had no clue.

"Uh, just hung out with Santana," Brittany said with a dry throat.

"Oh, nice," he smiled. "You know," Sam started with a laugh. "We should totally set her up with Puck. She really reminds me of him. He'd love her." Brittany wasn't sure what to do. Part of her wanted to hit him because Santana was _way_ better than Puck and part of her wanted to hit him for trying to set her up with anyone _besides_ her. Instead, she found herself laughing.

"Why's that funny?" He asked genuinely confused. He really believed the two would be a good pair.

"Sam," she breathed with a smile. "Santana's gay."

"What?" He scrunched his nose up, turning towards the girl who was laughing with Quinn at the omelet bar. "No way," he chuckled to himself. "I would have never guessed. I guess I've never really had good gaydar," he laughed with a shrug. Brittany joined him a little, remembering how he hadn't suspected half of her male dancer friends to be gay, even when they were openly checking out his body. "I guess it wouldn't have happened anyway," he shrugged again. "Where's she live again? Ohio?"

"Long distance can work," Brittany snapped almost instantly. She found herself defending Santana and her's not-even-relationship a little too quickly. Once she said it, though, she realized to Sam it probably sounded like an attack on him and their failed relationship. "Oh," she quickly added. "I didn't mean, you know, us," she whispered. "I just was saying-"

"It's cool," he shook his head. "By the way," he started as she pulled the golden-brown waffle off of the iron. "I was wondering if you wanted to maybe hang out later?"

"Sam," Brittany started, her eyes closing. It was harder to say things when she had to look into people's eyes. "I think we should talk. I kind of want to-"

"That's fine too," Sam said lightly. "We could just grab coffee later and talk, I guess, about whatever you want to talk about." Brittany knew he deserved a talk, and maybe she'd stop feeling guilty when she saw him. She didn't have to tell him about Santana, but she had to make sure she wasn't leading him on.

"Yeah, okay, I'll do coffee."

"Great," he smiled.

Most of breakfast was filled with small talk. Is this your first time here? Where you from, that kind of stuff. Turns out Quinn was from Florida, and Brittany and her seemed to be getting along gloriously. They seemed to have mutual friends from the Lodge. Since Quinn didn't usually come during this time of year, Brittany knew a couple friends who had visited at all different times of the year. Most of the meal consisted of them gossiping and giggling about people they knew. Santana wasn't totally focused in on their convo, since she really had no clue who they were talking about, but about halfway through her cheese omelet Brittany's hand landed gently on her thigh, just above her knee. It wasn't even sexual. It was like she did it to let Santana know she hadn't forgotten she was there. It made her stomach pulsate.

"Sammy!" Kate came running up to the table, stopping the girl's conversation.

"Oh, hey Katie, what are you doing here?" He asked scooping her onto his lap. Santana noticed Quinn practically swoon over the gesture.

"Mommy wanted to know if you were coming boarding for a little. Alex wants you too."

"Alright," Sam shrugged. Sam helped the girl off his lap and stood up. "I guess I'll see you girls later," he smiled. "We still on for coffee?" Sam asked Brittany a little hesitantly.

"Uh, yeah," Brittany swallowed. Santana felt her stomach plummet.

"Alright," Sam smiled. "I'll um, how about we just meet at like two, is that cool with you?"

"Yeah, sure," Brittany agreed quickly, just wanting the boy to leave. She needed to explain to Santana why she agreed to coffee with him.

"Alright, see ya," Sam waved and took Kate by the hand as they walked out.

"I- it's not a date," Brittany quickly turned to Santana.

"I don't care," Santana tried to say nonchalantly. But she did care, it was fucking killing her. Brittany felt her body stinging, like she had just received a hard slap all over her skin.

"I just, uh, was planning on telling him, you know, I'm not into him," Brittany tried to get through.

"Oh," Santana breathed, completely relieved. "I- cool," she shrugged. "I mean, you can do what you want. But...cool," she said again. Brittany wasn't sure how to take it. She hadn't seen Santana act like this towards her. It seemed kind of _cold_. Santana felt Quinn's eyes burning through her. "I'm sorry," she quickly sighed. "I didn't mean to say it like that," she shook her head. "I just, I thought you were going out on a date with him and I-"

"I told you I wasn't," Brittany cut her off.

"I know, I know. But it was already in my mind and I, you know-" She put her walls back up, she wanted to say. But she felt too lame to say that. "I didn't like that idea," she settled for. "I'm sorry," she said again. "And I'm really glad you're going to talk to him," she smiled. Brittany gave Santana's leg a light squeeze.

"It's alright," Brittany smiled with a breathy laugh. There were so many levels to Santana she hadn't gotten to unravel yet, and she was glad she was getting the chance to see some of them.

"Well, _love birds_," Quinn joked with a smirk, "my Mom scheduled a massage for me so I better be going." Quinn watched with a smile as both the girls got red in the face. "I'll see you around? And nice meeting you Brittany."

Before either girl could answer, she was gone.

"I'm sorry," Santana quickly stammered again, still feeling guilty for her little moment. She hated acting like that towards Brittany. "I didn't mean to say I didn't care, I do care. I just, I'm not good with feelings and I shut down and I was just being dumb."

"I told you, it's fine," Brittany smiled, her hand sliding up a little on Santana's leg. Sure it had hurt Brittany a little, but she liked that Santana recognized it right away and couldn't stop apologizing.

"Thanks," Santana breathed.

"So you were _trying_ to make me jealous?" Brittany eyed Santana.

"Huh?" Santana asked a little confused. Brittany watched as Santana's cheeks got the slightest tint of red in them.

"That was mean," Brittany pouted.

"I'm sorry," Santana looked down at her lap. "You were with Sam and that made me jealous and I-" she faded out when she felt Brittany's eyes ease up and knew the girl wasn't actually that upset. "But it worked," Santana looked up hopeful.

"Yes, it did," Brittany laughed.

"So you're gonna talk to Sam, then?" Santana asked softly.

"Mhm," Brittany nodded. "He wanted to hang out again, and I figured I'm gonna be seeing a lot of him around here, so it's best to tell him as soon as possible that I'm not really into him anymore."

"If you need more time you don't have-"

"No," Brittany looked a little confused. "I mean, I don't think I'm ready to tell him about-" she stopped, careful not to say _us_ since she wasn't sure if that's what Santana wanted. "About you," she settled for. "I just need to tell him I'm not into him like that."

"Oh," Santana nodded. "You think it's gonna be hard?"

"Probably," Brittany sighed. "I've never been good at that kind of stuff. You know, hurting people." Santana felt a tug at her lips. She trusted Brittany. Maybe more than she should have. "But we can hang out after, right? I might need some cheering up."

"Of course," Santana smiled. "It's kind of incredible, how open you are," Santana sighed. Brittany looked down at her, waiting for her to elaborate. "I mean, I _know_ I like girl's, and it's still hard to accept having feelings for someone. And here you are, you've always been with guys. And now you're just-" Santana stopped. It was hard to finish the sentence without mentioning herself or her and Brittany as a couple. Which they weren't. "You're just so accepting of everything."

Brittany just shrugged. She fucking shrugged.

"Yeah," she said indifferently. "I don't know, why would I deny feelings when they're this amazing?"

Santana's heart stopped. By the casual look on Brittany's face, it was clear she hadn't completely realized what she just said. _This _amazing. She was talking about how Santana made her feel, and she used the word amazing.

"You should try it," Brittany joked lightly, nudging her elbow into Santana. She knew Brittany was joking, but it hit Santana a little too close to home. Her body filled with heat. She looked up at Brittany with a shy smile. Then she nodded.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"One regular and one gingerbread latte, right?" Sam asked looking to Brittany for confirmation. She nodded with a small smile. Knowing she had to talk soon was making Brittany's stomach churn.

"I'll bring it over," the man behind the counter smiled.

"Thanks," Sam smiled. Brittany followed him over to the corner table with two big comfy chairs around them.

"How was snowboarding?" she asked as they sat down.

"Good," he smiled. "Alex has actually gotten pretty good. He wanted to go off of one of the ramps," Sam laughed. "My Mom _freaked_." Brittany laughed along imagining the scene. "My Mom's been asking about you. She misses you," he told her, but it kind of sounded like he wasn't the only one. Brittany just smiled, unsure of what else to say.

"How've you been?" Sam asked suddenly serious. She knew what he was referring to and she quickly shrugged him off.

"Good. I'm good. How bout you?"

"Fine," he smiled.

"One gingerbread latte and one regular," the coffee man smiled as he placed their drinks in front of them.

"Thanks," they both smiled.

"Have you figured out what you're doing for christmas yet?" Sam asked.

"I guess just dinner," she shrugged. "Presents in the morning. How about you?"

"Same thing I'm guessing."Eventually, the silence sunk in. It felt much longer than it had actually been, but it was eating at Brittany. Brittany let out a long sigh.

"What's wrong?" he asked, but by the tone of is voice, it seemed like he already knew the answer. It surprised Brittany and she looked up at his broken smile. "I shouldn't have let you go," he mumbled as he shook his head.

"What?" Brittany breathed.

"That's what you wanted to talk about, right?" He asked.

"Well, yeah, sort of I-"

"I get it," he sighed.

"I'm sorry, Sam," she sighed out a breath of relief. "I still care about you so much. And I always will. It's just, I don't feel -"

"_It_," Sam finished for her.

"How'd you know?" Brittany finally asked.

"You've never been one to be shy about your feelings," he shrugged. "I don't know, at first I thought you were just being cautious-"

"I was," Brittany nodded.

"Yeah, but then, I don't know. I knew it didn't feel the same, but I wasn't letting myself believe it. But then when I went to kiss you," he paused, clearly remembering the moment vividly. "You didn't smile when we were leaning in," he sighed. It was the most hurt he had sounded throughout their conversation. "You _always_ smile into your kisses," he breathed looking up at Brittany's eyes.

"I'm sorry," Brittany said again.

"It's alright, Brit," he smiled. "I can't make you feel something you don't," he shrugged. "I just want you to know that I'm still gonna be here. You're my best friend, alright? I know you're going through a rough time right now," he got quieter. "With your Mom and everything. I'll be here for anything, to talk, to make you laugh. Whatever you need. My family, too," he said. Tears started welling up in Brittany's eyes and she did her best to fight them back.

"Thanks, Sam," she sighed.

"I'm sorry," he shook his head. "I didn't mean to make you sad, I just wanted to let you know that." Brittany nodded but couldn't look up at him. Sam got up and took a step closer to the girl.

"Come here," he sighed, offering his arms for a hug. Brittany quickly took him up on it and buried her face into his chest. She was grateful his arms were so big and covered her scrunched up face. She stifled most of her cries, but she couldn't help the tears sliding from her eyes. She hadn't been allowing herself to cry, she hated this.

"It'll be okay," he breathed as he gave the top of her head a soft kiss. "I promise."

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

Brittany waited till all the tears had dried and the redness had faded to knock on Santana's door.

"Hey," Santana smiled when she saw the blonde. It was earlier than expected. She was glad to see that Sam and her's conversation didn't last long.

"Hey," Brittany said back, her voice slightly strained from her tears.

"Are you okay?" Santana asked, suddenly noticing the girl's eyes. The seemed clearer than usual, the way Santana's looked after she had been crying. Santana took a step to the side so Brittany could walk in.

"Yeah," Brittany nodded. "I'm good."

"Was it that hard?" Santana's eyes squinted sympathetically.

"No," she shook her head. "Actually, it was easier than I thought. Sam knew it was coming and was actually really cool about it. And he's okay with just being good friends."

"So why were you crying?" Santana asked softly, sitting down on the edge of the bed. She motioned for Brittany to join her.

"I-I wasn't," Brittany insisted. She wasn't sure how Santana had known she'd been crying. She had checked herself in the mirror before she knocked and she didn't see any signs of tears.

"Are you sure?" Santana asked once more. Santana knew the girl had been crying, it was written all over her.

"Yeah," Brittany gulped. "I- I'm okay now," she promised. "I just- I don't wanna be sad. I hate being sad," she said. "Can we just forget about it and, I don't know, watch a movie? We have plenty of chips," she tried to joke.

"Um, yeah, sure," Santana smiled weakly. She knew something was going on with the girl and it killed her to not know how to help. She wanted Brittany to open up to her more than anything, but she figured she'd just have to wait.

Santana stood up to grab one of the five bags of chips and returned to the bed. Brittany noticed Santana's concerned expression and climbed up against the backboard beside her.

"Thank you," Brittany breathed as she took Santana's face in between her hands. Just being in the room with the girl was making her feel better. She leaned in, smile included, and planted a soft kiss onto Santana's lips. Santana sighed, pressing her lips further into Brittany's.

"Well when you wanna talk," Santana shrugged, cuddling the girl into her side. "I'll be here."


	14. Chapter 14

After flipping through the TV channels for awhile, Brittany finally agreed to watch Forgetting Sarah Marshall, one of the only four movies playing. It didn't really matter, though, since she fell asleep nestled against Santana only ten minutes into the movie. Crying had always made her eyelids heavy, but trying to pretend that she hadn't been crying at all only weighed them down even more. Santana, on the other hand, wasn't tired at all. She took a nap earlier in the day. Even if she had been tired, though, she wouldn't have been able to sleep. Brittany looked so beautiful laying against her. Peaceful and exhausted. Santana couldn't wake her. Plus, she liked how the girl looked in her arms, maybe even a little too much. The movie had been over for more than thirty minutes before Brittany showed any sign of life. She scooched her body upward and her head ended up burrowing deeper into Santana's chest.

"Mmm," she hummed. Santana smirked, the girl's face hidden in her chest. Still, her heart was beating faster. Brittany's eyes bolted open as she slowly came into consciousness, ripping her head off of the girl's breasts.

"Sorry," she mumbled, getting red in the face. Santana smiled at how cute she looked all flustered.

"No worries," she smiled.

"How long have I been asleep?" Brittany quickly asked, feeling awful for leaving Santana alone.

"Not long," Santana shrugged. "Don't worry."

"The movies over?" Brittany realized panicking.

"It's okay," Santana laughed.

"Crap," she breathed. "I'm sorry, you should have woke me up."

"You looked too cute," Santana shrugged with a slight smirk. She liked that she was beginning to relax again around Brittany. Just like when she first met her, she was able to flirt without getting nervous. Maybe she was still kind of nervous, but at least she was starting to get used to it.

"I'm sorry," she apologized again. "You probably could have been doing something more fun. I'm sorry."

"Brittany, stop," Santana sighed. "I told you it's fine. And trust me, if I was bored, I would have woken you up," she smirked again. Brittany's felt her face heat up as she bit down her bottom lip. The girl was making her hot all over just from her gaze.

"Let's go in the hot tub," Brittany blurted out as she sat up straighter. Santana raised her eyebrows at the girl's sudden alertness.

"Yeah? Okay," Santana smirked. Her confidence was making Brittany squirm.

"I'll go get changed. Meet me down there?" Brittany asked practically halfway out the door.

"Alright," Santana giggled to herself. Brittany had practically sprinted out of there. She wasn't completely sure why the girl was suddenly so excited to go in the hot tub, but she wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to be half naked with the girl.

Santana quickly changed into her simple, red-stringed bikini and made her way down to the room where the girls had shared their first kiss. When she walked in, she was surprised to see Brittany already waiting for her. She must have made it in record time since she had to go up a floor, get changed, and come back down. Santana literally only had to walk three steps to get changed and was on her way down.

"That was fast," Santana smiled coyly as her eyes fell down Brittany's flawless body. She was wearing a royal blue bikini. The top's straps behind her neck were a little thicker than Santana's, but the blonde's bottoms were much skimpier. Santana tried to close her mouth but Brittany's body seemed more and more perfect every time she saw it.

"I was excited," Brittany shrugged. She seemed a little more relaxed than before.

Santana looked around, there was an older couple in the larger opening of the hot tub and the towel man was just leaving. Brittany turned and walked over to the hot tub and lowered herself down into it. It was Brittany's turn to smirk when she turned to see Santana simply staring at her.

"You coming in or what?"

"Y-yeah," Santana shook herself out of her haze, joining Brittany in the water. She sat herself right next to Brittany and immediately Brittany shifted so their legs were touching. The warmth of the water, or perhaps it was from being so close to Brittany, spread through her body. Santana stiffened up when Brittany's hand fell onto her leg and began to slowly slide up and down it.

What the fuck? Why was Brittany making her nervous again? _It's just Brittany_ she told herself.

Brittany leaned into Santana's ear, her lips brushing directly against her lobe.

"Just wait till they leave," she husked, referring to the couple about fifteen feet away from them. Brittany's lips lingered near her skin for some time, her breath making Santana shudder. Santana gulped as Brittany's hand slid further inside her thigh.

"It's cute seeing you like this," Brittany smiled softly.

"Like what?" Santana whispered back, her voice a little raspier than she intended.

"All nervous and stuff. I'm usually the one who's a mess around you."

"I am _not_ nervous!" Santana insisted. Brittany just giggled teasingly in her ear.

"I didn't expect you to be, but it's kind of a nice change."

"I'm not nervous!" She said again. Honestly, being accused of being nervous was breaking down the nerves in her stomach. Santana sat upright and turned her torso towards Brittany. The girl was smirking at her. Santana quickly but gently dragged her hands across the girl's abs and leaned in, planting a soft kiss on the apex of the girl's neck and shoulder. She kept her lips close to her skin and dragged them along her neck up to Brittany's ear.

"Who's nervous now?" Santana smirked when she felt Brittany shudder. In reality, though, Santana's heart was beating twice as fast as Brittany's.

"I'm always nervous around you," Brittany said back with a calm voice. "In a good way," she added with a smile, not wanting Santana to take it the wrong way. Her smile was so fricking innocent, even if her hand was dragging inward between Santana's legs. Santana didn't understand how she could be so unbelievably cute and so incredibly sexy at the same time.

"You don't seem as nervous as before," Santana noted.

"Well, yeah, I took a shot before I came down here," she said nonchalantly.

"A _what?_" Santana asked, completely shocked.

"A shot," she shrugged. "I knew how hot you were gonna look and I knew I wouldn't be able to function properly with my nerves and all, and alcohol usually loosens me up, so I took a shot or two."

"Or two? What?" Santana shook her head, still confused. She was a little mad she hadn't thought of the idea first.

"Just two," she laughed. "Small ones. The minibar in my room has some good stuff," she smirked. "By the way," she smiled. "I was right." Her voice got lower as gave Santana a crooked smile. "You _do_ look super hot. With the rate you got my heart going right now, I can't imagine what you'd do to me without the alcohol. You should have felt my pulse when I woke up against you!"

Santana just stared agape at the girl, completely speechless.

"You know why I wanted to come here?" Brittany whispered, her voice a little more serious now.

"So you could get me half-naked?" Brittany just chuckled. She liked Santana's humor a lot.

"I think I could have done that another way, too," she smirked to Santana. Santana's body got hot. She liked this side of Brittany.

"Cocky," Santana raised her eyebrows. Brittany just shrugged.

"But really," she said more earnestly. "It's where we first kissed," she reminded Santana, not like the girl had forgotten. "And your kiss," she breathed in Santana's ear. "it paralyzed me. I- I'd never felt like that. And you just walked right out, leaving me speechless. I just watched you walk out and I couldn't say anything." Her words were tingling Santana's spine. "And then last night," she breathed again. Santana swore she was doing it on purpose. Dragging her words out, breathing her warm air down Santana's neck. "The way you made me feel again-" Brittany paused for awhile before ghosting her lips on Brittany's ear. She thought about how understanding Santana had been. And patient. She hadn't forced Brittany into anything. Then she made Brittany feel a way she was sure the movies had made up. "I wanna make you feel that way," she breathed. Her words ran through Santana like fire landing just between her legs. Brittany giggled softly for a second as her hands began massaging Santana's thighs. Santana wanted to tell her that she _did_ make her feel that way, but Brittany's straying hands were distracting her.

Brittany looked up to see if the couple was still there. Seeing them didn't stop her, though, she softly let her mouth kiss Santana's collarbone. Santana's body tingled, first at the kiss and then at the realization that Brittany was kissing her with other people present. She was never one to care about PDA, but when the idea of being able to show Brittany off ran through her mind, she couldn't think of anything else she wanted more. Except for maybe the girl right in that moment.

Santana's chest shook as she let out a sigh. Brittany grinned against her before pulling her lips away. Santana's lips began to form a smile as she watched the couple step out of the hot tub. Brittany followed her eye line and discovered the same thing, her eyes glistening back at Santana's. The girls sat still as the couple grabbed their towels and bag without looking back. As they walked through the door, Brittany lifted one leg over Santana's two so that she was straddling her. She wrapped her arms around her neck and smiled. Santana's heart was pounding as her eyes flitted all over Brittany's features. Her eyes, her lips, her chest, her skin, her collarbone, her neck. The steam surrounding her made Brittany look angelic.

"You have so many freckles," Santana breathed, her eyes falling down the girl's chest.

"I _know _that's not what you're really thinking about right now," Brittany smirked. Santana's cheeks reddened. Yeah, she hadn't noticed how many freckles Brittany actually had until now, and she loved all of them, but that wasn't nearly where her mind was at. Before she could answer, Brittany's smile was closing in on her. She closed her eyes as her upper lip was surrounded by a soft kiss. A wave of tingles hit her body. Brittany pulled her lips away as she began tasting the rest of her skin. She smiled as she kissed the front of Santana's neck. The girl let out a tiny whimper as she instantly arched her head backwards, revealing more skin for Brittany to taste. Brittany kissed slowly, lingering in places Santana seemed to react to the most. Santana seemed to be reacting to everything, though. She didn't feel like herself. She felt so out of control. The girl could do anything to her, _anything_, because she was completely hers.

"My God," she barely whispered as Brittany's hands began down her sides. Santana's hands instinctually found their way to the blonde's lower back, her skin warm from the surrounding water. Brittany's hands gripped onto Santana's neck as she aggressively brought her lips back against the girl's. Her tongue slid through her lips as it glided along Santana's before delving deeper into her mouth. Santana was surprised her body reacted quickly enough to kiss back, her nails beginning to dig into Brittany's back.

"Y-you're s-so fu-fucking sexy," Santana shook against the blonde's mouth. Santana's sex was throbbing. It was beginning to hurt, too. She needed to be touched and soon. She arched her hips upwards as Brittany pushed back against them just as forcefully. Santana moaned from their centers colliding and rolled her hips back into Brittany's. This time, Brittany took the hint as she scooched backwards slightly and let her hand trickle down Santana's front. Her fingers slid under Santana's waistband and Santana almost gasped.

"W-what if someone walks in?" She panted, not really caring. She just needed to make sure Brittany didn't care.

"Then they'll get a nice show," Brittany husked as she brought her lips down onto Santana's neck. Her fingers slid further down, Santana already swollen. Brittany's stomach was twisting all sorts of ways, but the adrenaline from Santana's taste kept her going. Santana, on the other hand, was melting from the girl's touch. She started by making small circles, slow at first. It was driving Santana crazy and she gripped Brittany's skin tighter, pulling her closer against her. As Santana's hips lifted off the seat, Brittany slid her fingers further through her folds and was surprised to be able to feel the girl's wetness, even underwater. She smirked against her skin, finally feeling like she was doing something for Santana. Santana shuddered as her fingers flicked over her clit. Brittany stayed there for a minute, the pressure between Santana's legs building up. Brittany pulled away, her blue eyes, glinted with pure lust, staring Santana down straight on.

"You ready?" She breathed lowly. Before Santana could Answer Brittany was pushing her two fingers inside of Santana.

"Ughh," Santana moaned, her eyes rolling backwards. "Fuck!" She practically screamed. She'd noticed plenty of times before how long Brittany's fingers looked, but she hadn't expected them to _feel_ this long. She was reaching places she was sure nobody had ever been before. As Brittany began sliding her fingers in and out of the girl, Santana leaned forward, burying her mouth into the crook of Brittany's neck. Brittany sat up, focusing her mind on pleasing the girl. She spread her fingers apart and Santana's body contorted beneath her.

"Holy _fuck!_" she moaned again before gently digging her teeth into Brittany's skin. Her swearing was turning Brittany on even more. Santana's hips started pressing down on Brittany's fingers. She was breathing heavily, like she'd just spent the past twenty minutes doing windsprints, and her legs were using all the strength she had to keep herself together. As Brittany thrusted her hand up one more time, Santana let out one last moan before her body caved in under Brittany's.

Brittany had done it. She did exactly what Santana had done to her, leaving the girl speechless. A minute passed of Santana's forehead pressed against Brittany's shoulder. She was panting. Then two. Three, her breathing finally calm again. Four. Five. Silence. Brittany would have spoken, but she loved that she was the reason for this noiselessness.

Finally, Santana spoke. Her voice was low and raspy. Sexy, Brittany though.

"Liar." Santana finally lifted her head off of the girl, her hair disheveled and her face flushed. Her lips seemed a little swollen, too.

Brittany's eyebrows creased together as she tried to decipher the girl's words.

"Never been with a girl _my ass_," Santana smirked. "I don't know what I'm doing," she tried her best to mimic Brittany's voice from the night before. Brittany let out a light laugh.

"Does that mean I did alright?" She asked hesitantly. Santana didn't understand how she went from confident, sex goddess back to shy, innocent Brittany in only a matter of seconds. Santana just rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Fuck," she breathed to herself, still not over how amazing that felt. Physically. Emotionally. Her body felt like jello and she felt high, floating and untouchable.

"You're beautiful," Brittany breathed before Santana could unlock their eyes. Santana felt chills run through her body. Goosebumps everywhere, even if she was submerged in a hundred and four degree water.

"T-thanks," Santana stammered over her words. "So are you," she said genuinely.

The way Brittany was looking at her, it almost scared her. Santana could feel her taking in all of her. She was looking way deeper than just her eyes, and she was memorizing the way her hair fell, the tiny creases in her face, the cracks in her lips, the length of her eyelashes. Santana felt naked. Bare. Vulnerable. Right about now was when she was supposed to run away. Fuck, she was supposed to get into a fucking Lamborghini and book it to another country. She thought for a second that she should, but her legs weren't moving. Then she realized, she didn't want to. For the first time in her life, she didn't want to run away. She wanted to be right there, with Brittany, for as long as the girl would allow her to be.

"Can we go cuddle?" Santana asked softly. She couldn't believe she just asked that. She never _wanted _to cuddle after sex. Strangely enough, she usually wanted to be alone. But now, that was all she wanted. Brittany smiled and slid off of Santana, stepping out of the water. She reached her hand down for Santana to take hold of.

"It would be my pleasure," Brittany smiled.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"Your skin is so soft," Santana breathed as she ran her thumb over the bottom of Brittany's abs. Brittany just giggled as she continued to brush her fingers through Santana's hair. Brittany couldn't remember ever touching hair so smooth.

"I like holding you," Brittany confessed as Santana nuzzled closer to the blonde. The brunette's arm was draped over her abs, her fingers fiddling with the bottom of Santana's oversized t-shirt she lent her. Santana's head was resting on her chest and Brittany had her arms wrapped around Santana's back. Santana wasn't used to being held. She had to admit, she liked it way more than she expected.

The girls fell silent for a moment, each of them stroking the other. They couldn't get enough of each other's touch.

"Are you excited for Christmas?" Brittany asked, her voice brimming with excitement.

"Eh," Santana shrugged indifferently. She felt Brittany shuffle underneath her.

"What do you not like Christmas or something?" The girl laughed jokingly.

"Not really," she answered nonchalantly. Brittany's eyes widen and she took a minute to try to understand.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Not really," she repeated. Brittany sat up, Santana sliding down her stomach. "Hey," she pouted. "I was getting comfortable."

"How can you not like Christmas?"

"It's annoying," she said simply. "Not the actual holiday, but the commercialized part of it. Everything's so fucking cheery and the lights and the gifts-"

"Those are the best parts, And family, of course," Brittany said almost sounding heartbroken. How could this girl Brittany was so amazed by not like Christmas? So far, it was the only flaw Brittany had found in the girl, but something told her there was more to it.

"Yeah, well, my parents kind of ruined the family part for me early on," Santana admitted. By Brittany's soft sigh Santana knew she was starting to understand. She knew she probably was lost for words, so Santana started again. "They told me they were getting a divorce on Christmas Eve. I was five. Who fucking does that?" she let out an exasperated sigh. "Sorry," Santana quickly added, not wanting to make the girl uncomfortable.

"For what?" Brittany said simply. Santana realized she didn't know what she was supposed to be sorry for so she ignored the question.

"My parents are good people. I love them a lot and we all get along. Even them, they're friends. But my Mom's moved on so she didn't wanna celebrate with my Dad _and_ her new husband. I mean I don't blame her, that be so fucking awkward," she let out a light laugh. "So I've pretty much always had to do two Christmases. I don't know, just always seemed overrated to me."

"Celebrate with me," Brittany smiled. Before Santana could object, Brittany continued. "Your Dad, too. I mean, he'll probably be with Christine anyway, seeing as those two are so smitten with each other," she smiled. "So you guys can both join us. I'll show you why Christmas is so great." The grin on Brittany's face was priceless. "Please?" She pleaded.

"Fine," Santana feigned an aggravated sigh. Brittany knew she was excited, though. Her smile was as wide as she'd ever seen it. Santana had never been asked to be apart of someone else's tradition before. Nobody had ever wanted to share such a big part of their life with her. Santana, trying to hide her blushing cheeks, nestled herself back into Brittany's chest, sliding back down the girl's body. Brittany lowered herself back onto the pillows as they got comfortable again. Thousands of questions were running through Santana's mind but she didn't know how to appropriately phrase any of them.

"What about you?" She asked softly, her voice cautious.

"What about me?"

"Do you get along with your parents?"

"Oh yeah," Brittany smiled. "My Dad's a sweetheart, but he's definitely the more stricter of the two. He's the worrier. Always thinking about the future." Santana waited for Brittany to continue, to say something about her Mom, but the girl just stopped.

"What about your Mom? What's she like?" Santana whispered. She wasn't sure if it was okay to be asking these kind of questions. The longer Brittany took to answer, the emptier her stomach felt. Shit, she shouldn't have asked that. But then Brittany took in a gust of air.

"When I was four I told my parents I didn't really want anything special for Christmas. The only thing I can remember putting on my list was this dumb doll. I don't even remember her name," Brittany shrugged. Her voice was really nostalgic. "She had brown hair and wore a preppy headband. She didn't cost more than twenty bucks, though, so my parents kept asking me what else I wanted Santa to bring me. I just wanted surprises, I didn't really care. I've always been easy to please, I guess." After every couple sentences, Brittany stopped to smooth her voice out. "Anyway, my parents got me tons of stuff. Stuff I ended up loving and would have been more than enough for me to open on Christmas Morning. But apparently, on the morning of Christmas Eve, my Mom took me too the mall because she had to get some last minute shopping in for my cousins. I kept begging her to see Santa, even though I'd already seen him four times that season. Eventually, she finally gave in and we waited in line for like thirty minutes. Finally it was my turn," she said and Santana could hear the smile on her lips. She adjusted herself so she was looking up at the blonde. "So I climbed up onto Santa's lap and he asked his famous _what would you like for Christmas _question." Santana smiled when Brittany mimicked Santa's voice. "My Mom didn't really expect me to say anything different than I said the other four times. A silly doll and to surprise me. But instead, I said, "An Easy Bake Oven. That's all I want this year, Santa. Please, it would make me so happy." I was probably almost begging," she laughed. "My friend had just gotten one a week before and I went over to play with it and fell in love. Man I wish I could have seen my Mom's face. She laughs about it now, but I'm sure she was in full panic mode at that point. So we went home and got ready to go to church and then dinner at my Aunts. But my Mom started calling everywhereand anywhere to get her hands on the dumb Easy Bake oven. It was sold out _everywhere_. Apparently it was that year's hot gift. She called all her friends from back home to look, too. Hours later, my Aunt finally called back saying she found one and bought one for me. Problem was, she lives five hours away from us on a good day. She offered to bring it to me three days later when we were gonna celebrate with her side of the family, but my Mom didn't wanna ruin the magic of santa or something like that. So that night, after we got home from my Aunt's house and I went to bed, my mom drove five hours to pick up my easy bake oven and five hours back. She made it home just after seven, right when I was waking up. She didn't get any sleep that night, but she claims the look on my face when I opened that damn oven was worth it." Santana watched as Brittany's eyes began getting a little cloudy. Still, the story was making Santana smile a little. Brittany, too. Before Santana could tell her how sweet that was, Brittany started talking again.

"Once, when I was thirteen, my best friend suddenly decided I wasn't worth her time anymore. All because the guy she was crushing on told his friend he thought I was cute. She stopped talking to me, no explanation. I sat down at lunch and she got up and moved to another table, two of our friends following her." Santana could sense the pain in her voice but she couldn't be sure where it was coming from- her friend or her Mom. "I'd never even talked to the guy!" She sighed, her voice getting a little louder. "My Mom picked me up from school that day. Before I even got in the car, she knew something was wrong, just from the way I was walking. I broke down just from the way she looked at me, like she knew everything. I guess it's a Mom thing," she shrugged. "She didn't ask any questions, she just hugged me. Then, without saying anything else, she drove me an hour and a half to my favorite aquarium to watch the dolphin show. It ended up being one of my favorite nights ever," she smiled. "She's my best friend," Brittany said, her voice cracking a little. She felt her body flood with much needed warmth as Santana tightened her arms around her.

"She seems amazing," Santana said genuinely. Brittany just nodded, worried she'd cry if she said anything else.

"Sorry," Brittany croaked. "Not sure why I just said all that." She didn't like talking about her Mom recently, it depressed her. But it all just slipped out.

"I'm glad you did," Santana told her. "I want to know all about you," she smiled. Brittany felt her body tingling. She knew Santana meant it. She wanted to go on, to tell her more, to tell her what was weighing down on her so heavily. But she knew she'd start sobbing, and Brittany didn't want to do that. She didn't want to put that on Santana. So instead, she did what made her feel light. She leaned down to give Santana a soft kiss. It was so gentle that when both girl's pulled away, they each needed a moment to catch their breath. Santana smiled and leaned in again, sucking in Brittany's lower lip. They laid like that for awhile, giving each other soft and sweet kisses. Brittany couldn't remember a time when she felt that light. For a moment, that constant pressure inside her chest wasn't there. When she thought about it, she felt that way whenever she was with Santana.

"What's your Mom like?" Brittany asked Santana. Her voice was steadier now. She didn't want to talk anymore, but she wanted to listen. Especially to Santana. She always wanted to listen to Santana.

"She's a lot like me," Santana explained, "just way less of a bitch," she laughed. Brittany laughed too, liking Santana's openness.

"You're not a bitch," she smiled.

"Not to you since I like you. You're one of the lucky ones," Santana shrugged. Brittany's heart swelled three sizes in her chest. Santana was right, Brittany felt so _so_ lucky.

"I like you too," Brittany smiled, wanting the girl to know how she felt more than anything.

"I hoped so," Santana smiled back up at her. As Santana stared through Brittany's gorgeous eyes, she noticed her fighting to keep them open. "You tired?" She asked. Brittany shook her head adamantly. Santana giggled a little. "Brit, it's okay. We'll have more time to spend together. If you're tired, we can go to sleep. I'm not going anywhere," she promised. Brittany's stomach felt butterflies fighting to get out from inside of her. She knew Santana didn't mean those words in the way Brittany wanted her to, but they still made her melt.

"Me neither," Brittany whispered as Santana sat up to pull the comforter over them. Brittany followed the girl's lead, adjusting herself so she was laying completely flat on the mattress. Santana turned away from Brittany, just for a minute, to turn the lamp off on her nightstand. Before Santana could turn back around, though, Brittany had snuggled up against her, Santana's body fitting perfectly into Brittany's. She gently placed her arm over Santana's side and nuzzled into her ear.

"Is this okay?" she whispered. Santana still couldn't talk, though. Hearing Brittany's muffled _me neither_ had made her freeze up. She managed to let out a gentle hum, pressing her body further into Brittany's to show her just how okay it was.

Santana smiled. Brittany wasn't going anywhere. And it felt amazing.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

Waking up with Brittany had been added to Santana's favorites list, along with just about everything else Brittany does. Brittany begrudgingly left her to meet up with her family for lunch and family portraits. Brittany begged Santana to let her stay with her, but Santana insisted she get some family time in. She didn't want Brittany's family to have any reason to dislike her, something Santana had never had to worry about before.

Now that she was alone again, since her father left her ten minutes ago (not without a few inquisitive questions about her night with Brittany) to go out with Christine, Santana's mind was all over the place again.

Last night was incredible. She couldn't think of a better way to describe it. Brittany had opened up a lot, too. Maybe not quite as much as Santana was hoping for, but she knew it had to be hard on the girl, whatever was going on. It still felt amazing to hear even half of what Brittany had divulged to her. Part of Santana was worried, though. Was she doing something wrong? Brittany had the perfect opportunity to tell her about her mother last nigh and she didn't. Santana was starting to think maybe it wasn't Brittany's secretiveness and more Santana not being someone Brittany wanted to tell.

For the first time in as long as Santana could remember, she felt like being rational. She felt like talking. The problem was, the girl she wanted to talk to was hundreds of miles away in another state. Still, what else was Santana going to do for the next few hours? She went into her closet and grabbed her phone, her wallet, and winter coat and headed down to the lobby to catch a taxi. The concierge set her up with the first taxi to roll in and Santana quickly shuffled into the back seat.

"Hi, um, could you take me somewhere with cell reception?" She expected to get a weird reaction from the driver but he seemed completely unfazed. She guessed this probably happened pretty often to him.

"There's a Starbucks a couple miles down the road that has great reception and taxis are always driving by, is that good?"

"Yeah, thanks," she nodded.

About fifteen minutes later, Santana was paying the driver and walking into Starbucks. She decided to grab a hot tea on her way upstairs since she'd probably be there for awhile. Plus, she figured she probably had to pay for something in order to go upstairs. Santana turned her phone on while she waited for her drink to be made and dozens of texts started coming in from her friends from back home. Her tea was ready, though, and she ignored most of them. She just wanted to call Lizzie.

As soon as she made it upstairs, she plopped herself in the corner's comfiest chair and quickly hit Lizzie's name, number three on her favorite's list, just behind her parents. She felt guilty for a second when she imagined Brittany's name being ahead of it.

The phone rang four times before it went to Lizzie's voicemail.

"Fuck," she breathed as she hit redial. She didn't come all the way out here to not talk to her friend. Four more rings and nothing. "C'mon Liz," she sighed. Just as she was about to call again, her phone started vibrating and she saw Lizzie's name pop up.

"Lizzie!" Santana practically shouted through the phone.

"You're alive," the familiar voice laughed.

"Had to drive fifteen minutes to get any signal out here," Santana told her.

"Damn, where the hell did your Dad lock you up at?"

"It's actually not that bad," Santana began to tell her. "Actually, I kind of really like it."

"Santana's gone soft," Lizzie laughed. "Who knew a little skiing would do the trick."

"Shut up," she rolled her eyes. "How's home? How's your break?"

"Good, wish you were home, though. Dale got home three days ago though, so obviously that's making it great now." Dale was Lizzie's longterm boyfriend. They dated practically all of high school. He didn't go to school with the girl's, but the neighboring town's school instead. They were basically perfect. Santana liked Dale because unlike most of Santana's other friends, Lizzie never complained about her boyfriend. They never really fought. And he was pretty funny.

"How are you guys?" Santana asked. She realized that wasn't something she usually asked, though, and she hoped Lizzie wouldn't notice. Of course she did, though. She was her best friend.

"Am I speaking to Santana Lopez?"

"Look, I miss you," Santana tried to make it seem more normal. "Is it so bad if I want to hear about your life?"

"I'm just messing with you," she laughed. "We're great, actually. Long distance sucks, but it makes our time together that much better." Hearing about a successful long distance relationship made Santana smile a little. She didn't understand it, though. She'd never been into relationships in general, and now she was thinking about a long distance one? Was she a masochist?

"So you're pretty much just fucking all the time, then," Santana smirked.

"San! No, I mean, well yeah, we're getting that in, but we do other stuff too," she defended.

"Right," Santana rolled her eyes.

"Unlike you, I'm not _all_ about sex," Lizzie joked. Normally, Santana would laugh or joke back or tell her how she's missing out and how relationships are stupid. Lizzie waited for the girl's quick response, but it never came. The longer time passed, the faster Santana's heart started beating.

"San? You there?" Lizzie asked cautiously.

"Uh, yeah."

"What's the matter?" Lizzie was laughing lightly. "You leave me for two weeks and you're suddenly all soft? You're not gonna make fun of me? What'd you do fall in love or something?"

Again, Santana stayed quiet.

"Holy shit, you did!" Lizzie shouted in disbelief.

"I did not!" Santana quickly defended.

"Oh my God you totally did!"

"I never said _anything _about love!"

"Who the fuck is she? Oh my God who are you?!"

"Her name's Brittany," Santana grumbled. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. She didn't need to talk this out.

"San, what the hell? Oh my Gosh why didn't you tell me sooner? What she look like?"

"Tall, blonde," Santana started. "She's got the bluest eyes ever. And she's a dancer, so her body's ridiculous. She just looks friendly, you know? Like a happy person, all the time."

"Holy shit," Lizzie kept saying to herself. "So the opposite of you," she laughed. "Is she gay? Have you done stuff yet? Are you, like, dating?"

"Chill with the questions," Santana tried not to laugh. "I met her at the resort. She's here with her family. And well, her exboyfriend's here, too. They were sort of maybe trying to get back together but-"

"You didn't get in the way, did you?"

"No! No, well, maybe, I don' think so though. She didn't like him anymore, he just liked her. He knows that now."

"So you're together then?"

"I don't- I don't know, I guess sort of? I mean, we haven't talked about what we are, but we've been, you know,-"

"Fucking," Lizzie mocked in a Santana voice. Santana couldn't help but giggle a little. "Oh my God you totally are!"

"Do you know me at all?" Santana joked. Their laughter subsided and Lizzie got serious for a minute.

"So then you like her a lot, don't you?" She realized. Santana took a minute to compose herself. Saying this stuff out loud was a little scary.

"More than Riley," she breathed. She could practically see Lizzie's open mouthed expression through the phone.

"Shit," she breathed. "For real?"

"Mhm," Santana swallowed. "Liz, she's like, she's fucking perfect! She's always happy, and she's beautiful. Like on the inside. She's so fucking innocent then the next minute she's driving me crazy 'cause she's so damn sexy. And she makes me fucking _speechless_. Like nervous and shit, I hate it." But both girls knew she didn't hate it one bit.

"San," she breathed, clearly taking this all in. "You know," she started again after a minute. "I didn't wanna say this when you were all into Riley and stuff, but you and her would have never worked in the long run. Two bitches is not a good combo. You need someone to balance you out."

"You gotta meet her," Santana said, ignoring her all too valid point.

"Obviously," she smiled. "Who wouldn't want to meet the girl that made Santana Lopez get a heart," she joked. "Seriously, though," she breathed, "I'm really happy for you. You deserve this, you know."

"Yeah, well, I kind of wanted to ask you about some stuff."

"Since when do _you_ come to _me_ for sex advice?"

"Not that, asshole!" Santana rolled her eyes. "I- I kind of overhead something. Well not really overheard, Brittany's Dad sort of just told me-"

"You're in with the family?"

"My Dad's sort of dating their aunt slash family friend?"

"What! Antony's got a girl too? Geez, this place is fucking magic!"

"Yeah," Santana laughed. "I'll tell you about that later. But anyway, her Dad kind of mentioned something about Brittany not being able to sleep since her mother's _diagnosis_."

"Shit," Lizzie sighed. "What's wrong?"

"Well, that's the problem. I have no clue. I mean, obviously it's not good, but Brittany hasn't told me yet."

"Oh," Lizzie breathed in realization. "San, you know how these things work, though," she said softly. "It's not all about, you know, the physical stuff. You gotta talk and stuff-"

"I know, dipshit," she said frustrated. "Sorry," she quickly apologized. Lizzie laughed a little and Santana realized it wasn't like her to apologize for a stupid comment like that. "It's just, we do talk. A _lot_. Like more than I've ever talked with someone before. I even tell her how I feel."

"You haven't tried to run?"

"Thought about it," Santana admitted feebly. "But I couldn't." She heard Lizzie mumble _wow _to herself and she couldn't blame the girl.

"But even last night, we were having a heart to heart while we were just cuddling-"

"You cuddle now, too?!"

"Lizzie!"

"Sorry, sorry."

"Anyway, we were talking about a lot of stuff. I mean, I even told her why I hate Christmas!"

"That took you like six years to tell me! And I fucking grew up with you!"

"I know! And you're the only one that really knows, besides my parents, obviously. But I told her all this stuff, and then we were talking about parents, and her Mom came up. I asked about their relationship and she told me. I mean, she told me a lot of stuff! Adorable stories, and I could tell she was about to cry, but she didn't, you know, tell me about any diagnosis or anything."

"It's probably really hard to say, especially if it's something serious."

"I know, I know," Santana sighed. "And I get that, I just, I want her to trust me. And she does, I think. I just don't know how to get her to let herself be vulnerable around me in that emotional way. I don't want her to tell me something she doesn't want to, but _Jesus_ I want her to tell me. I just wanna help her!" Santana let out an exasperated sigh and fell quiet, waiting for Lizzie's reply.

The line was silent. Santana couldn't even hear the girl breathing. She was about to ask her friend if she was there when she finally spoke up.

"Holy shit," she breathed in disbelief. "You _are_ in love!"

"What? No, no I'm not!" She urged. That wasn't the point of this conversation either.

"Yes, you are! I've never heard you talk about someone like this. Heck, you've never even talked to _me _like this. And since when do you call me to ask for advice? This girl fucking matured you, too!"

"I am _not_ in love. It's barely been two weeks!"

"It took me two hours to fall in love with Dale," Lizzie said honestly. "It just took me two months to realize it. You're in fucking love," Lizzie said and it was clear to Santana that she was beaming. "You just don't know it yet."

Santana just sat there, forehead in her palm, playing over Lizzie's words.

"As for the Mom stuff," Lizzie started again, more serious this time. "All I can say is just keep being there for her. Look, as your best friend, I know what it's like to have someone as loyal and passionate as you for a friend, and nobody else can give off that feeling like you. She's gotta feel it. Whether she's ready or not, she's gonna tell you eventually. Who knows what she's feeling, maybe it's just so fucking painful to talk about. Whatever it is, I'm sure she has her reasons. Don't get frustrated. I'm sure it's not personal, alright?"

"Yeah," Santana nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Liz," she smiled. She knew talking to the girl would calm her down some.

"Now," Lizzie smiled. "You gonna tell me about you fucking fell in love?" She laughed. Santana rolled her eyes and took a deep breath which was steadier than she had expected.

"Alright, alright," she laughed, ignoring the girl's accusation of love this time. "I'll start from the beginning."

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

Hey guys! Sorry it took longer than I thought to get this out, there's another scene I thought I was gonna include in this, but it would have taken too long to write it and I really want to get it right, so I'm gonna make it next chapter instead.

Hope you guys enjoyed! Thanks for all the reviews and messages! Love you guys!

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	15. Chapter 15

Brittany knocked three times on Santana's door before realizing the girl wasn't in there. This was the worst part of not having cell service in this place. How was she supposed to find Santana? Blue Creek Lodge was huge. Santana could have been anywhere. Brittany thought about getting walkie-talkies for each other, that way the could always locate the other one. It be fun, too. She loved walkie-talkies and always wanted an excuse to use them. She used to use them with her neighbor when they sat in their opposing tree houses when she was younger.

Brittany shrugged as she headed back towards the elevator. She knew she was finished her family portraits a little early, and it wasn't like Santana was just gonna sit around and wait for her, but how was she supposed to find her now? She really wanted to see the girl. Lately, she was all Brittany thought about. Her parents seemed to notice, too. Both of them wanted to know more about the girl Brittany was consumed by. They seemed to like her, as far as Brittany could tell. They really liked Antony, that was for sure. Brittany's father was pretty much obsessed with him. He wouldn't stop talking about their plans to go skiing together while Christine and her Mother got facials. It was good, though, since that made inviting the Lopez's to their Christmas that much easier.

Brittany checked in all the places she had showed Santana. The game room, the hot tub, the lookout, she even snuck down to the computer room. She thought about giving up and heading back to her room. That way, when Santana was done whatever she was doing, she would hopefully come and find Brittany. She wished they had made some sort of plan to meet at a certain time at a certain place. She walked through the lobby once more, one last hope to find Santana. She didn't see Santana, but she spotted Antony and Christine, possibly eating an early dinner. She didn't want to interrupt, it wasn't like her, but she found it hard to control her legs as they started towards their table.

"Brittany!" Christine smiled with a wave. "What are you doing?"

"Um, hi," she smiled shyly. "Hi Mr. Lopez."

"Antony, please," he smiled.

"Okay," Brittany nodded. "Uh, sorry to interrupt, I was just wondering if you guys have seen Santana recently?"

"About fifteen minutes ago she went that way," Antony said with a grin as he pointed behind him to the narrow hallway.

"That way?" Her eyebrows creased together.

"Mhm," he nodded. "Not sure for what. I don't know if she's still there, but she definitely went that way."

"She definitely went that way," Christine echoed, almost with more certainty than her date.

"Oh, okay. Thank you! Sorry, again."

"Anytime," Antony smiled as Christine gave a small, "Bye honey."

Brittany headed towards the hallway, her confusion not dispersing. Brittany rarely came this way. She was pretty sure it was just a bunch of conference rooms, maybe even a convention center. Nothing fun or anything. Maybe Santana was just exploring or something. Brittany walked down the vacant hallway. It was kind of spooked her out. She didn't see any other people and it was dimly lit. She peaked through the doors that had glass windows and creaked open the ones without them. Nothing. She knew the hallway deadened eventually so she figured she might as well check all the rooms. After checking about half the doors Brittany hadn't seen so much as a sign of life. She felt kind of crazy, looking for a girl like this, but it didn't stop her. She kept walking, opening every door. Almost all of them were filled with big tables and rolling chairs. A few were empty, and a few looked like party rooms. Almost ballroom-like.

Suddenly, Brittany began to hear a distant sound. Her eyes narrowed as she did her best to listen. She couldn't tell what it was or where it was coming from, but it was the first sound of anything she'd heard since she entered the hallway. She kept walking forward as she got closer and closer to the sound. A few more steps and she realized it was music. A few more steps. It was a piano, she was pretty sure. She could hear it coming from the right side so she began opening all the doors on the right side. Finally, she leaned her ear against the second to last door and heard the music clearly. The piano kept repeating the same part over and over again. It was familiar, but she wasn't sure if she knew the song or not. The same melodic tune would start, then a wrong note, Brittany assumed, would be hit, and the music would stop. Then just as abruptly, it would resume from the beginning. Finally, it seemed the musician had gotten the hang of the song because he or she made it further than they had previously. All at once, as the intro played out the last note, the music flooded Brittany.

"_Oh my God,_" she breathed. She gently pushed the door open, recognizing the mesmerizing tune. The long, brunette hair confirmed Brittany's suspicions. She was alone at the piano, the only thing in the otherwise empty room. Santana didn't turn around or stop playing, so Brittany guessed she hadn't heard her enter. Just as Brittany was getting over the shock of Santana being able to play piano like that, she opened her mouth to call out the girl's name when Santana made her speechless once again.

"_I admire you washing line,"_ the girl began singing just above a whisper. Brittany's jaw dropped as chills hit her body. She could fucking sing too? Was there anything she _couldn't_ do? Brittany couldn't think of anyone more perfect in the world.

"_You never commit any crimes." _And the song. The song.

"_You stay outside you never complain_," she sang a little louder. Her voice was pure rasp and soul. Brittany had never heard anything like it and she swore it made her heart want to leap out of her chest. And the way she was singing the words. There was so much in her voice. So much tension and strain.

"_You keep a smile through the pouring rain."_ Her voice broke as the melody continued unaccompanied. It was absolutely beautiful. Brittany felt like it was a dream- the music, the girl.

"_And the washing line stands up all day soon enough she's gonna have to say,"_ she took a deep breath and Brittany noticed she was shaking. "_'I'm Tired. I need my rest. My whole life I've tried my best.'" _By the tone of Santana's voice, Brittany began to feel bad, like she was intruding on something extremely personal. She wasn't exactly sure what the song meant but she knew it meant a lot to Santana. She knew it wasn't _literally _about a washing line, that was just a metaphor for some girl. Unless washing lines went by 'she' too.

"_Well you deserve it more than anyone,"_ Santana was crying now. Brittany could hear it. Not hard, maybe not even on purpose, but there was something in the back of her throat Brittany could hear. "_Standing out there in the midday sun, oh, you deserve it more than anything. 'Cause we'll all open our arms and let you in._"

Brittany knew there wasn't as big of a pause in the song as Santana took. She remembered listening, her favorite part was coming up. But Santana stopped, her fingers still holding out the sound of the keys. The words began to catch up with Brittany. Whoever the washing line represented had to be someone going through a hard time. But she guessed that person didn't let people know that. It didn't all make complete sense to her, but Brittany's chills began intensifying. Just as she wondered if Santana was going to stop, she saw the girl's shoulders move slightly, maybe from her breath, and her voice started again.

"_And all I wanna do,_" she breathed, her voice softer and sweeter than before. "_Is go dancing in the rain with you. And all I wanna do is ease some of the pain for you._" If Santana wasn't crying before, she definitely was now. Brittany's eyes began watering, too. She wasn't sure if it was because she thought Santana was crying, because the music was so beautiful, or maybe because something in her knew what the lyrics meant, even if she didn't realize it yet. "_For you,_" she sang out.

"_I admire you washing line. Your smile is as warm as sunshine." _Brittany smiled as she was sure Santana had done the same. "_It's cold outside it's starting to rain. Now I see that you're in pain._" Brittany had to put her hand against her lips to keep from making noise. The words were hitting her now for real.

"_And the washing line stands up all day. Soon enough she's gonna have to say, 'I'm tired. I need my rest. My whole life I've tried my best.' Well you deserve it more than anyone. Standing out there in the midday sun. Oh, you deserve it more than anything. 'Cause we'll all open our arms and let you in."_

Brittany couldn't get over the girl's voice. It was unbelievable. She smiled as her favorite part approached, Santana slowing down again.

"_And all I wanna do is going dancing the rain with you. And I all I wanna do is ease some of the pain for you."_

Santana's voice cracked on the last word making Brittany shudder. Brittany stood still, watching Santana sit frozen on the piano bench, her head staring down at the keys. Brittany's hands were shaking. She knew she wasn't supposed to be there and she had just stayed, uninvited, for the entire song. She couldn't help herself, though. The song, the girl, her voice, her emotion- it was all mesmerizing.

"S-Santana," she mustered up but it barely broke above a whisper.

Santana jumped, her chest tightening completely as the air got thicker. Her next reaction was to wipe her eyes and whatever surrounding water was remaining. She gave her heart time to restart before slowly turning her torso around.

"Oh," she muttered, her heart now speeding a million miles an hour. "Brittany," she sighed, not sure if she was relieved or not. "I-I didn't know you were-"

"Sorry," Brittany swallowed. "I came looking for you and I, I heard the music and I followed. Then when I opened the door you didn't hear me," she rambled, her words all colliding together. "I was about to call your name when you started singing and you were just so good I- I should have said something, I'm sorry," she apologized again. Santana couldn't help but smile at how cute the girl looked while flustered. It eased the tightness in her chest a little.

"It's okay," she smiled, making it easier for Brittany to relax. But Brittany could still feel some sort of tension in the air.

"You're incredible," Brittany said like she'd been dying to say it for days. "I- I had no clue." Santana smiled bashfully as she looked closer at blonde. She couldn't be certain from that distance, but it looked like the girl had been crying as well.

"Were you crying?" Santana asked softly. Brittany felt her cheeks heat up a little.

"I-," she started. "Only because it sounded like you were," she confessed meekly. Santana swallowed hard like she'd been caught. "And that songs really beautiful," Brittany said as began to walk over towards Santana. She slid in beside Santana on the piano bench as both of their hearts started racing. They weren't sure why, but this moment already felt more intense than anything they'd experienced together yet.

"Yeah," Santana agreed, studying the keys in front of her.

"Why didn't you tell me you played? And sang?" Brittany inquired, trying to keep the mood light. Santana wanted to ask why Brittany hadn't told her about her mother, but she knew that was completely uncalled for, so Santana bit down on her lip as she suppressed her unwelcomed thoughts. She hated that she was still thinking about that, even after her talk with Lizzie. She had given her the right advice, Brittany needed time. Santana needed to relax. That's why she secretly asked Christine where the piano was. She needed time alone to free her mind and lose herself in the music. Playing and singing was always the best way to distract herself back home. Unfortunately, her favorite song to play, which had never held any importance, suddenly held more significance than any song she'd ever known. Every single lyric related to Brittany.

"What's wrong?" Brittany asked softly noticing Santana's silence immediately.

"Nothing," Santana quickly shook her head.

"Santana, you can tell me anything," Brittany said after a long pause.

"Me too," Santana quickly reminded her, feeling like Brittany needed to take her own advice. "You know that, right? You can tell me _anything._" Brittany almost felt like the girl was begging. She swallowed what felt like a lump in her throat and asked again.

"Santana, what's wrong?"

"Do you know what I was singing about?" Santana mumbled, tears brimming in her eyelids again. Brittany just shook her head. She wanted to hear exactly what Santana was thinking.

Santana sighed as she realized the words coming to her mouth.

"Brit," she swallowed, her eyes closing for a brief moment. "I know about your Mom," she whispered. Brittany's heart dropped in her chest.

"My Mom?" Her voice broke.

"I-" Santana started shaking her head. She felt like shit. Why did she say that. Fuck. Her eyes were completely clouded and it made it hard to see Brittany's reaction. "I mean I don't totally know, I just, I kind of- your Dad kind of said something to me in passing," she stammered softly. "About her diagnosis. And you not sleeping," she whispered. "I- I'm sorry," Santana added when Brittany didn't say anything. Her heart was hammering. "I didn't say anything because I wanted you to tell me yourself, you know, when you were ready. But it was eating at me. I was just worried. I shouldn't have said anything-"

"No," Brittany swallowed. She could see Santana about to cry so she reached out and grabbed her hand. "I-I'm sorry, too," she whispered. Talking too loudly would make her voice unsteady. Whenever she heard her voice breaking it made her cry right on the spot. She didn't want to cry. "I should have told you," Brittany confessed. Part of her wanted Santana to know, but she didn't want the girl to worry about Brittany. Everyone was always worrying about her, yet nobody ever _really_ was. She didn't want the girl to be upset, either. She hated when people were upset. Especially people she cared about.

Santana just shook her head. Brittany didn't have to tell her anything she didn't want to tell her.

"I just, I hate making people sad," Brittany explained herself. "And I hate thinking about it," she mumbled honestly.

"I wanna be here to make you feel better, in anyway that I can. Or be there for you when you're sad. To help you through everything," Santana explained nervously. "Make you feel less alone." She wasn't sure what she was supposed to say here. "If you'll let me," she gulped. Brittany melted.

"She has some type of blood cancer," Brittany began slowly. "I- I'm not sure what kind," she confessed feebly. Santana could feel the girl's hand shaking in hers. The water was building up behind her blue orbs. "I didn't wanna know. If I knew, I'd be online all day reading about it and crying about everyone who's already died from it. And everyone that's going to," she croaked. "My Dad and I didn't think it was a good idea, me knowing too much," she swallowed. Her chest started heaving up and down as Santana watched her jaw tremble. Santana couldn't take it anymore and she wrapped her arms around the girls neck, pulling her head down onto her chest. Brittany couldn't control herself anymore and her tears started flowing. She had expected to feel embarrassed, annoyed at herself, even, for laying this on Santana. But she wasn't. It just all felt too _good._ Crying. Letting go.

Santana held Brittany for at least ten minutes, by that point both girl's were swollen in the eyes. After awhile, Brittany's breathing finally slowed almost back to normal. She let go of the hug and pulled away, not before Santana grabbed both of her hands.

"Next month," Brittany started again, "they're trying a bone marrow transplant. If it works, they'll move onto chemo. If she makes it to chemo," Brittany swallowed, keeping her trembling lip as steady as possible. "Then there's a good chance she'll be cancer free." Brittany mustered up a weak smile. "If the transplant _doesn't_ work," her voice was strained again and she took a moment to smooth it out. "Then they're not really sure-" she stopped, her voice completely high pitched and barely audible. Santana pulled her back in for a hug. She couldn't deal with Brittany finishing the rest of that sentence.

Brittany loved having Santana's arms around her. As shattered as she felt, Santana felt like the only glue holding all of her pieces together.

"I'm so sorry," was all Santana could think to say. "None of you deserve to deal with that," she sighed. Brittany was the most genuine, sweet person she'd ever met in her life and it seemed so fucking unfair that someone like her would have to deal with even an ounce of pain. Santana, sure, maybe her life shouldn't be all roses, but Brittany was another story.

"Thanks," Brittany smiled into Santana's shoulder. "For listening. And being here." Brittany couldn't get out exactly how amazing Santana was making her feel. The heaviness that had been weighing her down for the last month suddenly didn't seem so heavy. Her heart felt lighter. She hadn't felt this comforted since she'd gotten the news just over a month ago. "You just, you made me feel a lot better."

Brittany pulled away and her body warmed as she looked into Santana's deep brown eyes. She leaned in slowly, pausing for a moment, before finally giving Santana a soft and sweet kiss. Santana could taste Brittany's salty tears on her lips. She kissed them sweetly until the taste was gone, until her tears were gone.

As Santana pulled away, Brittany stood up from the bench with a smile. She reached her hand down for Santana and the girl looked up at her with a cocked head.

"Dance with me," Brittany smiled sheepishly.

"What?" Santana looked confused, flustered even. There was no music. "How about I play for you, and you dance," she tried to compromise. She liked watching Brittany. Brittany just shook her head.

"Dance with me," she repeated, her tone leaning more towards pleading this time. Santana took the girl's hand and followed her a few feet away from the piano. Brittany stopped and turned towards Santana. She kept her right hand locked with Santana's and pulled it up in front of her chest. She wrapped her left hand behind Santana's neck and pulled their bodies closer. Santana smiled, sliding her left arm behind Brittany's back and lowered it down some. Brittany began rocking them slowly, both girl's blushing hard at the other.

"This is nice," Santana admitted with a soft smile.

"I love dancing," Brittany reminded the girl. "It's even better with you." The fell into a silence that was highlighted by the lack of music. As Santana leaned her head on Brittany's shoulder, Brittany began to feel so thankful. "Thanks again, Santana," she breathed. She was feeling a lot calmer now, and speaking was becoming easier. Dancing always made things feel simpler. "When I first found out, the first person I called was Sam," she admitted, hoping the boy's name wouldn't make Santana feel awkward. It didn't, so she continued. She suddenly realized how much she had been wanting to talk this out. "I needed to talk to someone, I knew I did. And I thought he made me feel a lot better. I mean, it was over the phone so he could only really comfort me with words, but it was the only person I knew would make me feel lighter. I didn't ever think someone else would be able to make me feel comfortable enough to cry and stuff like I felt with him." Brittany paused as she leaned in and gently kissed the side of Santana's head. "But you make me feel incredible," she breathed. "All the time. And I've never wanted to cry about this. I hate thinking about it. But with you, it just, it felt _so good_," Brittany breathed and Santana could sense the disbelief in her tone.

"Do you remember the lyrics of the song I was singing?" Santana asked as she pulled her head back to look slightly upward at Brittany. Brittany's eyes narrowed thinking back. She remembered most of them so she gave a hesitant nod.

"You're the washing line," Santana told Brittany, hoping she understood. Brittany didn't react right away so Santana continued. "You're always so happy. Nobody would ever think anything was bothering you. You make everyone happy," Santana smiled weekly. "You never complain about anything. Yet your life isn't fair at all right now," she breathed. "But you just keep smiling." Brittany nodded, following along. "You do it all the time, but eventually, you have to let yourself be vulnerable. Show weakness. Like he says, soon enough, it's all gonna build up, and you're gonna have to admit that maybe you're not totally okay. And you're tired from pretending." Brittany was about to cry again so Santana leaned up and gave her a small peck. "But like he says, you don't realize it, but it's okay. You _deserve _it, Brittany. You deserve to have a rest." Brittany nodded, she actually believed Santana's words. "Then it's my favorite part, the part about the dancing, you remember that, right?" Brittany's smile became juvenile and she nodded a few times. Of course she remembered.

"That's my favorite part, too," she smiled proudly. Santana let out a light laugh.

"_And all I wanna do is go dancing in the rain with you_," Santana sang softly, chilling Brittany's spine. "_And all I wanna do is ease some of the pain for you_." She stopped for a moment, Brittany's heart racing as all the lyrics finally clicked in her brain. Santana's voice running through her wasn't helping her keep her cool. It was accelerating her heart even more. "I wanna be there for you, at your side, through everything," Santana swallowed. She couldn't remember a time where she spoke this honestly and open about her feelings. "I know I can't help what's going on, but, I don't know," she shrugged, "maybe I can make you laugh or feel good for a little while, you know, while you're dealing with stuff."

Brittany watched as Santana poured her heart out for the girl. Being so close, their chests lightly touching, Brittany could feel Santana's heart beating rapidly. It was perfectly in sync with hers. She let go of Santana's hand and wrapped both her arms around Brittany's neck, pulling her in for a kiss. The kind, like every kiss with Santana, that sent chills up and down her spine. Her stomach flipped for the fifth time and she knew exactly what she wanted to ask Santana, right then and there. Nobody had ever made her feel like this and she never wanted to lose the feeling.

"Santana," she pulled away quickly, noticing how breathless Santana seemed. Brittany didn't want to ruin it. So she stopped herself. Not yet, she thought. "Go on a date with me," she stated instead. Santana's eyes widened. She hadn't been on a date since... well, never, really. Her and Riley had gone _out_, but they never really called it a date. And it was never anything special. By the look on Brittany's face, she knew the girl had something perfect planned. Even if she didn't, Santana felt like it would still be perfect, just because she's Brittany.

"W-with you?" She stuttered out like a fucking idiot. Brittany smirked at the girl.

"Who else?" She joked.

"Of course, yeah, I'd love that," she quickly nodded. Brittany giggled and gave Santana another soft kiss. Santana loved feeling the girl smiling against her lips.

"Good," Brittany grinned. "I'll pick you up at eight," she smirked, giving Santana one last kiss on the lips. She turned away and sauntered right out of the room, leaving Santana completely dumbfounded.

What was happening?

Santana was falling. Fast and hard. Faster and harder than she ever thought possible.

"Fuck," she exhaled as the door closed behind Brittany. She was in way too deep. Hell, she was drowning. The worst part was, she liked it.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

__**Hey guys! Just wanted to post the song again, Washing Line. It's the same song from before but in case you didn't listen and want to here's the link. add it to the end of /watch?v=5qiE-05pnEo**

**xxx**


	16. Chapter 16

The sudden knock on Santana's door startled her, her back slamming into the closet door behind her.

"Ouch," she mumbled, hanging the towel from her hair on the rack and walking over towards the door. Her Dad stood there, already wearing a slight smirk.

"Brittany wanted me to tell you to dress warmly," he smiled. Santana rolled her eyes, knowing this was leading to a conversation, and stepped sideways to let her father into her room. She walked over and sat herself down on her bed, almost feeling like a preteen about to get the sex talk for the first time.

"Where are you headed?" He asked. He leaned himself up against the girl's dresser, half sitting half standing.

"If I knew that do you think she would have sent you up here with that message?" Santana retorted. Her Dad let out a breathy laugh.

"Touché," he nodded. "Grabbing dinner?"

"I think so," she shrugged. She was looking piercingly into his eyes. They had some unspoken competition going on, who would look away first. They did this quite often. Who was the bolder Lopez. Santana almost always won. Today, however, Santana knew she was a little off.

"So what, is this like a date?" He asked cautiously. Santana's eyes narrowed, trying desperately to keep her eyes on the man. The larger his smirk got, the harder it was to look him in the eye. The words churned her stomach around. So much so, that it made her eyes eventually drop down to her lap. She swore she could hear her father let out a victorious laugh. The more she thought about it, though, the more it sounded like he was just shocked.

"A date," he repeated, almost not believing his daughter. Santana shrugged, embarrassed at how hard it was for her to look him in the eyes. "Seriously?" He whispered more seriously.

"Maybe," she mumbled.

"You agreed to go on a date?" He asked once more for confirmation.

"Yes Dad!" She groaned, clearly exasperated. Antony's eyes widened for a moment as realization washed over him. This was big. He walked over and sat beside his daughter. He knew his daughter wasn't a talker. She was never great with expressing her feelings with words. Unless, of course, she was writing them down. As a child, if she was hungry, instead of asking her Mom or Dad to cook something, she used to bang on an empty plate with a fork until they got the message.

Antony wrapped his arm around his daughter's shoulder and Santana let her head fall onto him. They sat still for a moment, Santana's eyes closed lightly.

"So you really like her?" He finally whispered. Santana nodded.

"A lot," she sighed. She knew where both of their heads were at. This was crazy, for Santana to develop feelings like this so quickly. It was huge. It needed to be handled right. But they both knew, the trip had to end at some point. Things weren't gonna be this easy. Santana waited for him to say it, she knew he was thinking it, but he didn't.

Instead, he gave her shoulder a tight squeeze and smiled. "I'm happy for you, girl." He kissed her on the forehead and stood up. "Remember," he smiled. "Dress warmly." She nodded and watched him walk out. "Oh," he stopped right before he reached the door. He turned to her, his face suddenly grave. "Be careful," he warned. His voice had an almost pleading quality to it. Santana remembered the last time he had told her that. He wanted her to be careful with Brittany's feelings. After their little talk, though, Santana knew what he meant. This time, he was looking out for his baby girl.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

Quinn narrowed her eyes as she walked into the game room, looking for any living and breathing human within her age range.

"Sam," she smiled.

"Oh, hey," He smiled. "Quinn, right?" He confirmed. He knew her name, he just didn't want to seem creepy. His face began to heat up, though, when he realized it just made him sound like a total douche, since she clearly remembered his name.

"Yeah," she nodded. "What are you doing here?"

"Just looking for something fun to do," he shrugged. "My parents took my brother and sister out for a skiing and snowboarding lesson. I decided to hang back here. What about you?" He asked, leaning up against the pingpong table. He couldn't help but notice how pretty the girl's eyes were in the lighting. He didn't think he had realized that the first time they met.

"I'm always alone here," she shrugged. "Always looking for something fun to do."

"Wanna play me?" He smiled, raising a paddle up to her. Quinn blushed as their fingers briefly brushed against each other's as she took the paddle from him. This all had started out as an idea, just something to do, but up close, she had to admit how cute Sam was. She hoped he was as funny and sweet as he was cute.

"So where's your friends?" She asked as they got into a rally. She didn't want to bring them up, but she couldn't think of anything else quick enough.

"Dunno," he breathed. "Haven't seen Brit all day."

"You guys close?" She asked.

"Mhm," he started. He paused when Quinn missed the table completely. He had to walk away for a minute to go get the ball. When he got back, he started again. "We just, uh, sort of broke up," he mumbled. She could hear the pain in the back of his throat. "I mean, we weren't together, but we were trying- well, I was trying," he laughed a little. "But she's a great girl," he added. "And I don't mind just being friends, as long as she'll still talk to me," he smiled. He had a goofy grin that Quinn thought was adorable. She also liked how respectfully he was talking about the blonde, the girl who had seemingly just broke his spirits, if not his heart.

"Well," she smiled, her eyes gaining a flirty glint to them. "There are plenty of other girls out there," she smiled. "They're all over."

"Yeah," Sam gave a slight shrug of indifference without looking up. "Your serve," he smiled as he tossed the ball over to the girl.

This was going to be harder than she thought.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

The next knock Santana heard she knew belonged to Brittany. She smiled, taking one last look over herself in the mirror. Casual and warm, just like Brittany had suggested.

"Hey," Santana smiled before getting a look at Brittany. Her breath hitched for a moment at how cute the girl looked. She was wearing light jeans, white and blue nike high top sneakers, and a white sweater. The sweater had a cool rope-like pattern Santana wanted to touch. She then blushed, thinking about what _else_ she wanted to touch. Brittany also had on a dark grey jacket that looked almost like sweatshirt material, it's hood looking extra fuzzy. She also had a blue, thin scarf resting around her neck. Her hair was pulled up in a loose messy bun, a few straggling pieces framing her face.

"Hi," Brittany breathed. She wasn't sure why she was still shocked at how beautiful Santana always looked. Her hair was resting gently on her shoulders which looked strong in her tight, grey thermal. She was wearing dark jeans with low black boots, ones that Brittany noted were okay for the snow. She had a black parka jacket on, too. "I- I brought you this," Brittany smiled, handing the girl a black ear warming headband. Santana noticed the similar grey one in Brittany's other hand and took the accessory with a smile.

"Thanks," she smiled.

"It's gonna get cold out there," Brittany said. Santana loved how her eyes smiled, too. "Do you have gloves?" Santana nodded and stepped out into the hallway. "Let's go," Brittany grinned, walking towards the elevator.

"Where are we going?" Santana asked the blonde.

"Why would I spoil the surprise now? We're so close?" Santana laughed. "You didn't eat though, right? You're hungry?"

"Mhm," Santana nodded.

"Good."

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"I thought we were going to dinner!" Santana's eyes widened as Brittany pointed towards the gondola lift.

"We are," Brittany said simply. "We just have to get up there first," she pointed to the top of the mountain. "Come on," she smiled. "It's less scary than the ski lift, which you already did. Plus, this time, we'll be inside of that box. We'll be sitting down, too, so you won't even have to see outside of it." Santana stared at the giant cable car, her body completely frozen. "Please," Brittany breathed, reaching down and gently wrapping her fingers around Santana's hand. Holding her hand had calmed her down last time they were on a ski lift, and Brittany had been looking for any reason to make contact with the girl since she saw her. Santana's breath shook for a moment as she adjusted her hand so their fingers were intertwined. She looked up hesitantly at Brittany.

"Okay," she smiled, the girl's touch giving her more confidence than she was wearing a moment ago. "Let's go."

"Yay!" Brittany practically squealed, giving her hand a small squeeze. Santana chuckled to herself. There was no way she _wasn't_ getting on the damn gondola. She'd do anything, as long as the end result was a date with Brittany.

As they entered, Brittany made sure to lead Santana to the lowest corner, one that was sure to obscure any view to the outside.

"Sorry," Brittany mumbled a little embarrassed. "I know you don't like heights." Santana shrugged with a smile.

"I don't think I mind them as much anymore," she started. "I didn't know a pretty girl was gonna hold my hand every time I wimped out," she joked. Blood rushed to Brittany's cheeks as she looked down at her lap. Santana nudged her shoulder into her. "Seriously, it's fine, I don't care what we're doing, as long as I'm spending time with you." Brittany smiled but it only made her skin get hotter. "So what kind of restaurant is on the top of a mountain?"

"Be patient!" Brittany smiled. "We're almost there."

"Okay, okay," she laughed. She couldn't stop looking at Brittany. Her skin was radiating, her eyes sparkling. Santana had never been so attracted to someone, yet still be able to just sit and appreciate her beauty.

The gondola swung to a sudden stop and Santana let out a tiny gasp.

"It's okay," Brittany cooed, bringing her other hand on top of their already locked fingers. She stifled her laughter as best she could but a few small giggles seeped through.

"Shut up," Santana couldn't hide her smile. She knew she sounded like a baby. Brittany rose to her feet and helped Santana up. The gondola rocked slightly with every step and Brittany could see the slight fear in Santana's eyes. The fact that Santana was doing this, for her, without complaining, was making her heart flutter.

As Santana stepped off the gondola, the view took her breath away. It was like the lookout, times ten, without a glass window in front of her.

"Woah," she breathed. Brittany couldn't take how cute she looked, standing there, admiring the view. She leaned down and pressed her lips softly against Santana's cheek, only making it harder to breath for the girl. Santana looked up at the blonde, not believing her luck.

"Let's go," she smiled, leading Santana forward by the hand. Santana's heart started beating faster, and she wasn't sure if it was from the blonde's hand in hers, or if it was because they were clearly walking towards the edge of the mountain.

"W-where are we going?" She asked confused. Brittany stopped dead in her tracks and turned towards the girl.

"Do you trust me?" She asked seriously. Santana nodded quickly and adamantly.

"Mhm." She couldn't explain it, but she felt as though she trusted Brittany with everything she had.

"Then just come with me," Brittany shrugged. The way she said it made everything seem simple. Santana would go with her, anywhere and everywhere.

They made it to the edge and Brittany turned to Santana with a child-like smile.

"Holy-" Santana breathed before biting down on her lip. "Wha-what are we..." she stopped looking down at the slope.

"Stay here," Brittany grinned before letting go of Brittany's hand. Brittany walked up to the only thing on the top of the mountain, a tiny podium, like one found at the front of a restaurant. Only, there was no restaurant in sight. They were on top of a deserted snow covered ski slope, the only other people up there were already in their skis or bounded into their boards. Santana was lost.

"Pierce," Brittany smiled to the hostess.

"Two?" The man asked with a smile.

"Mhm," She confirmed, looking behind her at the brunette. Santana was looking all around, trying to figure out what the hell was happening.

"Okay, Ms. Pierce. I'll be right over with you, just give me a minute."

"Thanks," she smiled before walking back to her date. She smiled at the word. Date.

"I thought you said the restaurant was on top of the mountain. I don't see any fucking restaurant," Santana chattered. She was scared and cold. Brittany smiled and sucked in her bottom lip.

"I didn't say that, _you_ said that. I said we had to get up here to _get_ to the restaurant. I wasn't lying," she explained. Santana didn't look at the girl, her eyes still locked down the insanely steep slope in front of her. If she took five more steps forward, she could easily slide down it and tumble to her death, or at least a hospital bed. It was a straight slope that dropped pretty far down. She couldn't see where it ended, though, because there was a large curve to the left that clearly led somewhere.

"Here," Brittany stepped closer to her, reaching into Santana's coat pocket. She pulled out the ear warmer she had brought her and handed it to Santana. "You're gonna want this," she smirked. Santana stared at the thing in her hand. When she looked back up, Brittany had already placed her grey one around her ears. Santana's heart skipped a beat. She was wearing it like a cute headband, keeping some of her hair out of her eyes while other pieces dangled around her face.

"You look really cute right now," Santana smiled as she reached up and pushed one of the blonde strands away from Brittany's eye. She didn't mind the blonde distracting her from the insane drop in front of her.

"You can look even _cuter_," Brittany smiled back, "if you put that on," she pointed to the girl's ear warmer. She didn't think it was possible, though, for Santana to look any cuter. She was wrong, like always. As Santana hesitantly wrapped it around her ears, Brittany's cheeks began to hurt from smiling so wide.

"Ms. Pierce," the man from behind the podium had appeared from out of nowhere.

"What the fuck," Santana breathed slowly, just loud enough for Brittany to hear. The girl giggled as the man placed a giant, two person snow tube in front of them. He kneeled down beside it.

"Have you dined with us before?" He asked Brittany.

"Mhm," she smiled. "She hasn't," she nodded to Santana.

"Oh! Well," he grinned. "Welcome. And hang on tight," he laughed. Santana looked at Brittany with pure panic. Brittany took a step closer to Santana and grabbed both her hands.

"I promise you," she breathed, "it'll be worth it. Just, please come with me. If you don't want to, I get it, we can go back down the gondola and we'll just get a normal dinner but-"

"I'll go," Santana swallowed. Clearly Brittany had put a lot of time into their night and she didn't want to do anything to ruin her plans. Plus, whenever the girl held her hands, she felt an extreme sense of calm take over her body.

"Yeah?" Brittany bit down on her lip to keep her smile from getting out of hand.

"Yeah," she shrugged with a small smile. Brittany quickly gave Santana another kiss on her cheek, turning Santana's smile into a dopey one. Santana's skin burned where Brittany's lips had touched and her stomach flipped. She liked this, Brittany kissing her cheek. Nobody had ever really done that before, besides her parents.

Brittany turned around and sat down in the tube shaped like an eight. She sat in the back and spread her legs for Santana to fit in between.

"I promise," she smiled. "We'll be okay. Just sit down." Santana nodded and slowly lowered herself, careful not to push too hard and make the tube move. "Lie back," Brittany told the girl. Santana turned around and faced her.

"I'm afraid of one thing, heights, and what do you do? Take me to the highest point in the fucking world." Brittany just giggled. She loved this side of Santana. She'd never met someone with so much spunk. It was kind of hot.

"It's not that high," she smiled. "And I'm sorry. We're low to the ground, though. And I promise it will be worth it when we get down there. I think you'll actually enjoy the ride, too," she smirked. "Now lie back," Brittany said more firmly as she patted her lap. Santana sighed, hesitantly letting her body relax. "Scoot back," Brittany told her. Santana obliged and let her arms fall over Santana's thighs as her back pressed into the girl's front. "Want me to hold you?" Brittany offered. Was she really asking that? Santana nodded, unable to form sentences as she stared down the mountain. Brittany slid down further into the dip of the tube and tightened her arms around Santana. "Breath," Brittany reminded her. Just as Santana was starting to relax, Brittany leaned forward and planted a kiss on top of her head, making her breath hitch again. "You ready?" She asked.

"Mhm," Santana swallowed, her eyes shutting tight. She wasn't sure where the adrenaline was really coming from, the imminent drop in front of them or her body pressed into Brittany's.

"One, two," Brittany breathed, using one hand to push the tube forward. "Three!" Before Santana could react, she was plummeting down the slope, her stomach dropping just as quickly as the tube.

"Woooooo!" Brittany screamed as the wind burned into her eyes. She couldn't stop giggling as she tightened her grip on Santana.

"Oh my God!" Santana squealed as her hands dug into Brittany's thighs. The blonde only laughed harder. She loved the feeling in her stomach, it was always one of her favorites. It reminded her of the way Santana made her feel, especially when she kissed her. They started to reach the curve and the tube slide up the guiding wall, tilting the girls to the left.

"I'm gonna kill you!" Santana screamed louder than Brittany had ever heard her scream. But then, as they dipped, she heard a few giggles escape the girl's lips and she felt relieved.

"Hang on!" Brittany laughed as they hit another curve, this time their tube tilting them to the right. Santana broke out into a giggle fit. She had never done anything like this. It was so adventurous and so unlike her. And it was so much fun.

"Ahh!" Santana squealed again. Brittany was now having trouble breathing because she was laughing so hard. Brittany's arms began to loosen around Santana and the girl let out a squeal.

"No!" She screamed, bringing her arms up to Brittany's to make the girl hug her. Brittany giggled again. She could hear the fear in Santana's voice.

The tube began to slow down and Santana's breath began to slow. As soon as she felt herself relax, her eyes peeled open.

"Oh my," she breathed, unable to finish her sentence. In front of her was a beautifully lit gazebo with another hostess waiting for the girl's. Santana sat up, eyeing the scene in front of her and Brittany rose to her feet. She ran her hands over her hair before offering her hand for Santana. Santana took it in silence and they walked over to the hostess.

"Ms. Pierce?" She asked. Brittany nodded. "Welcome! Right this way," she smiled. Santana looked confused. They weren't staying here? What, did she have to take a fucking dogsled to the next place? They walked down a long set of stairs and her mouth opened even further. A bunch of set ups were below them, tables, fires, cabanas. They merged to the left and soon enough the woman sat them at an isolated two person table. Above them, an electric heater would keep them warm. Around them, because of the angle, like all the other tables at the wonderful place, was nothing but snow. It was impossible to see anything or anyone else. Waiters and waitresses literally seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"What is this place?" Santana breathed as she settled into her cushioned chair.

"Altaria," Brittany said with pride.

"Is this where you take all your dates?"

"No, just the special ones," she flirted back. "I've actually only been here once, but I've never seen the second half of our date," Brittany told her with a slight smirk. There was more than just dinner? "Usually my parents come alone, but they took me once, you know, because of the ride in."

"That was quite the entrance," Santana rolled her eyes.

"You had fun," Brittany said. It was a statement, not a question.

"It wasn't that bad," she confessed.

"I heard you laughing," she smiled. "It was cute."

The waiter walked up with water and explained how the courses worked. It was all pre-decided, Santana could thank Brittany for that, and they would be brought out as soon as the girl's finished their previous course. Brittany didn't remember exactly what she picked, since Santana had been what was really on her mind all day, but she knew there was a soup, an appetizer tray, and then filet. They were having their desert after.

"How did you get us in here so quickly?" Santana asked. "Did you have this planned all week or something?" she smirked. "You knew I was gonna say yes all that time?"

"No," Brittany laughed. "Actually," she rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "My Dad helped me get us in. The manager loves him, since they come every year."

"Do your parents ride down that way?"

"It's the only way to get here," Brittany smiled.

"I kind of wanna do it again," Santana confessed.

"I knew you loved it," Brittany grinned, her tongue poking through her teeth a little. "I actually was thinking, I mean, Lincoln loves tubing, and if you wanted to hang out with him one day, we could maybe take him," Brittany began to suggest. Her voice got softer halfway through when she realized she wasn't sure if that was moving too fast. Why would Santana really want spend time with her baby brother.

"I'd love that," Santana smiled back, making Brittany's body flush.

Their soup came out first, some sort of bisque. Brittany wasn't sure what kind, but it was good. Santana seemed to like it too.

"Did you ever want to be a singer?" Brittany asked halfway through her bowl. The question surprised Santana. Brittany was too busy spooning her soup into her mouth to notice Santana's shocked expression.

"Um, I think at one point," she whispered.

"Why not anymore?"

"I don't, it just never seemed possible or realistic. Plus, I like writing more." She wasn't sure if that was true, she loved both a lot though.

"You could do both," Brittany shrugged like life was that simple and Santana could do whatever she wanted, just because she was Santana. "You could write songs, too. That's writing. Have you ever written a song?" Santana's face was heating up and it wasn't from the heater directly above her. Santana shrugged.

"What are they about?" Brittany asked. Santana was a little taken aback at how forward Brittany was being, but Brittany didn't seem to notice. It was kind of refreshing.

"Um, I don't know, lots of stuff," she mumbled.

"Do you still write them?"

"Sometimes," she muttered. She'd never admitted that to anyone before. To be fair, though, no one had ever asked.

"I'd like to hear one sometime," Brittany said simply with small smile. Santana's stomach felt butterflies all over. Brittany seemed to know exactly how far she could take each conversation. Honestly, though, she could always go a little farther and Santana would still be okay, because she was Brittany.

"Did you sing in high school? Like perform ever?"

"I was in a glee club," Santana admitted sheepishly. She hated telling people that. She loved glee club, but if someone had never seen her glee club, she knew it sounded even dorkier than it was. And it was already pretty dorky.

"Really?" Brittany smiled. "That's so cool! Did you have competitions." Brittany watched Santana's body relax.

"Mhm," Santana explained. "But we weren't that great. I mean, we needed a few more voices. We were always missing a soft female vocal. Some more attractive guys, too. And dancers, we could have used you," she smiled.

"That's so cool," she smiled. "All I had was cheerleading," she shrugged. "And dance, obviously."

"I was a cheerleader, too," Santana's cheeks heated up again. She loved cheering, too, but she knew to others it could sound silly. She knew Brittany wouldn't think so, though.

"Really?" She smiled. "Oh my gosh, we totally would have been friends."

"I was kind of a bitch, I don't know if you would have liked me," she confessed weakly. She still had most of the same qualities, but she was a lot happier now. And secure. "I mean, I could have never been a bitch to you," Santana added earnestly. She really couldn't imagine herself ever being a mean to the girl. "But you might not have liked me."

"I doubt you were really that bad," Brittany smiled. Santana scoffed.

"Really, I was," she admitted. "I'm just glad I met you now," she smiled honestly. She felt a lot more mature and ready for the girl than she would have even just a year ago.

"Me too," Brittany smiled.

The girls finished their next two courses rather quickly, Brittany telling Santana about her dance life and Santana telling Brittany about her first piano lessons.

"So why don't you let your parents hear you play?" Brittany asked.

"I don't know," Santana admitted. "It's just always irked me. Like, having them compliment me and act like I was the best thing they've ever heard. I'm their daughter, they had to say that stuff, and it's always irritated me. Like false compliments."

"Well," Brittany breathed, "I'm not your mother, thankfully," she murmured to herself, Santana giving her a cute laugh. "But I thought you were absolutely incredible." Brittany's voice was serious and it chilled Santana's spine. For the first time, she felt herself accepting a compliment with open arms.

"Thanks," she swallowed.

"Are you finished?" Brittany looked down at the girl's plate, not wanting to rush her. Santana looked down at her completely empty plate and giggled.

"Do you want me to eat the plate too?"

"Sorry," Brittany shook her head. "I'm just a little nervous," she said quietly with a shrugged. Santana's heart stopped. She was nervous? Santana couldn't tell at all. She seemed so confident and poised. And who admits that openly that they're nervous like that? Who is that confident and open? The girl blew Santana's mind.

"Me too," she admitted, feeling like everything had suddenly become a little more open. Brittany just smiled back, her stomach settling with Santana's confession.

"Come on," Brittany said as she stood up. She reached out for Santana's and the girl felt her hand magnetize into Brittany's. "They said we could just head over when we were done," she shrugged. Santana didn't know what that meant but she followed Brittany, her thumb brushing over the back of the blonde's hand. Her skin was so soft.

It was colder then before, since they were no longer under the electric heater. Santana didn't mind, though, she just inched closer to Brittany.

As the view came into sight, Brittany's smile widened.

"Oh my God," Santana breathed when she realized it was for them. "How- you-" Brittany giggled and pulled Santana closer.

Under the cabana was an open fire pit, the heat already hitting the girls. There was a long bed-like chair just big enough for two with a large tray standing next to it. A metal pitcher of something was sitting on it with what looked like a tiny chocolate fondue.

"Brittany," Santana breathed in disbelief.

"Come on," Brittany laughed, ignoring Santana's shocked expression. She walked over and sat herself down on the soft chair as she removed her jacket. She was already burning up from the fire. Santana eyed her for a moment before finally deciding to follow. She sat next to Brittany and almost jumped when Brittany leaned over to her.

"Relax," Brittany smiled. "I was just gonna help you take off your jacket," she shrugged.

"Oh," Santana gulped, "thanks." She pulled one sleeve off and Brittany helped her get the other sleeve off. "Sorry, I'm just not used to this," Santana divulged sheepishly.

"Not used to what?" Brittany asked, reaching over to the pitcher and pouring the steaming drink into two cups. "Do you like hot chocolate?" she asked.

"Mhm," Santana smiled for a moment. She loved hot chocolate.

"Cool," she smiled, handing the girl a cup. They both leaned up against the back, which felt like the back of a sofa, and Brittany asked again, "not used to what?"

"You know," she shrugged. "Like, dates like this," she swallowed nervously. Brittany could sense her uneasiness.

"Do you want a chocolate covered marshmallow?" She asked, trying to ease the mood. Santana nodded. Brittany leaned over and dipped two marshmallows into the chocolate and handed one to Santana. She took a bite and ended up with chocolate on the side of her mouth. Brittany giggled, sucking in her bottom lip, and leaned forward to wipe the chocolate off with her thumb. Santana's eyes followed the girl's finger which ended up inside of Brittany's mouth as she licked off the remaining chocolate. Brittany gave Santana a soft smile, unaware of how much she had just turned the girl on.

"Really?" Brittany asked more seriously as they finished their marshmallows.

"Really what?"

"Really you've never been on a nice date?"

"Yeah, really," Santana laughed, unsure why that was so hard to believe.

"I just would have thought that someone would have treated you the way you deserved by now." The way Brittany spoke, so honest and straightforward, still hit Santana every time.

"I've never actually been on a real date," Santana said after a pause. Brittany was always so open so she thought she'd try, too. Brittany almost spit out her hot chocolate.

"For real?" She asked trying to keep her eyebrows from perking up too high.

"For real," Santana repeated. "I guess this is my first."

"Woah, a lot of pressure." Santana just giggled.

"Are you kidding? I'm pretty sure nobody will ever be able to top this. I fucking tubed down a mountain to get here," she laughed. Brittany's cheeks were bright red.

"I hope I get the chance to top it." For the first time, Brittany's nerves were beginning to show. Santana watched her teeth bite down onto her lip.

"Me too," she breathed. They sat there for a few moments smiling before Santana heard the faint music in the background.

"Oh my gosh," she smiled. "This is the first song I learned on the guitar."

"You can play guitar, too?" Brittany's eyes widened.

"Not really, just a few songs. I just taught myself some chords so I could, you know, write if I wanted." It felt good to not leave a part of her life out. "It was the original version, though."

"I love this song."

"I've never heard this version. I think I might actually like it better. The piano's so pretty."

_Kiss me out of the bearded barley_

_Nightly, beside the green, green grass_

_Swing, swing, swing the spinning step_

_I'll wear those shoes and you will wear that dress_

Santana hadn't noticed how many goosebumps she had running up and down her arms as her and Brittany memorized each other's features. She wasn't cold, though. Brittany's stare was doing it, making her skin rise. Her skin glowing, her teeth tightly tugging at her lip, and her eyes flicking to and fro Santana's lip. Santana leaned in slowly. She wasn't sure why, since they had kissed before, but she could feel her nerves bubbling up inside of her. When Brittany closed the gap, they both jolted a little, shocked at how powerful the kiss was. Brittany's lips tasted like sweet mint, Santana's vanilla, both hidden under the hot chocolate. It was sweet, soft kisses, taking each other's lips into their own. It lasted the remainder of the song. As it ended, though, Brittany pulled away, embarrassed by her lack of breath.

"You're so beautiful," Santana told her. She'd never meant that so much in her life. Her heart was pounding just from looking at the girl. Brittany just looked down sheepishly as she tried to gather herself. Santana scooched closer to Brittany and began to slid her body lower. Brittany smiled softly and lifted her arm up for Santana to slide into.

"I love cuddling with you," Santana smiled into Brittany's side. She was too happy to be embarrassed by her confession.

"Me too." Brittany tightened her grip on the girl. She loved the feel of Santana's fingers dragging along her abs in little patterns. "What's so funny?" Brittany asked when she realized Santana was giggling a little.

"Hm? Oh, nothing, I just-" she stopped, wondering if she should continue. She remembered how open Brittany was and decided to start again. "I was just thinking of what my friend said. You know when you had your family portraits?" Brittany nodded. "Well I kind of had a lot on my mind, you know, with you and all that stuff," Santana swallowed, not wanting to bring up Brittany's mother again. "So I went into town to call my friend from home. I just needed advice, but I obviously had to tell her about, you know, us," Santana shrugged, finally feeling comfortable enough to call them an "us." Brittany felt her heart inflate five sizes in her chest. The mention of an "us" sent her head spinning. "But as I was talking, I guess I slipped out that we we're cuddling or something," Santana tried to play her words as cooly as she could. "She couldn't believe it," Santana laughed, "that I've become a cuddler. I can't, either," Santana shook her head. "It's so unlike me." From Brittany's silence, Santana was worried she had said too much too soon. Her heart took off.

Brittany couldn't breath. Santana's confession, she knew, was a big one. She could feel Santana's heart speed up against her chest and knew the girl couldn't believe she had just admitted it, either. Brittany's mind shut off. Any rational thinking was out the window and the words she'd been fighting to hold back all day were suddenly at the back of her throat. She didn't ask it as a question, or even demand it. She simply whispered her wish without any clear intention other than the fact that it was bubbling up in her throat.

"I want you to be my girlfriend."

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

**Hey guys! Sorry about the cliffhanger, I was planning on writing the scene after this too but it was getting kind of long and I wanted to get an update out.**

**The song mentioned is Kiss Me by Jason Walker- I'm sure it's on youtube it's really pretty if you wanna check it out. Not big in the plot though so no worries. **

**Thanks so much for all the reviews and messages I love them all!**

**xoxo**


	17. Chapter 17

"I want you to be my girlfriend."

Brittany's eyes widened as she realized those words weren't just inside of her head anymore. They were lingering in the air for Santana to soak up.

Santana's heart stopped with Brittany's confession. Girlfriend. The word made her stomach pulse, her hands shake, and her head spin. It wasn't a question, was it? Brittany wasn't actually asking her to be her girlfriend, was she? Santana felt paralyzed.

When the silence felt much too long, Brittany tried to speak up again. "I-I," she stuttered before taking a deep breath. Santana lifted her head off of Brittany's chest and sat up slightly, adjusting her body so she was facing the girl. She could see how unsure Brittany felt.

"What?" Santana whispered softly, her voice still gentle and kind. Brittany considered for a split second retracting her words, trying to cover it up, or changing the subject altogether. As she opened her mouth, though, she realized that wasn't what she wanted.

"I want you to be my girlfriend," she said again, her now more confident voice still soft. Santana's stomach dropped the same way it had when the tube had fallen over the first drop. Her heart was beating frantically and her body was burning. She tried to open her mouth to say something, anything, but she was completely dry. Brittany could see Santana struggling for words and was about to speak up again when Santana finally spoke.

"What are we doing?" She sighed as she brought her hand up to cover her eyes. She felt like she was about to cry. This wasn't what she wanted to say. _Yes _she was repeating over and over again in her head. _Yes. Yes. Yes._ Her instincts took over, though, and she blurted it out before she could realize what she wanted.

"What do you mean?" Brittany asked back, doing her best to stay calm.

"I mean, what are we doing?" Santana repeated again as she removed her palm from her face. She looked up at Brittany and she watched her eyes fall down to Santana's quivering lip. Brittany was about to answer when Santana cut her off. "I like you, Brittany. A lot," she breathed, realizing that was the understatement of the century. "Tonight was unreal," she shook her head. "I mean, literally, this place is like something out of a fucking fairytale," she scoffed. "But what happens _after_ this?" Her voice noticeably weakened. "After this is all over? I fall harder for you," she whispered, her voice already straining quite audibly. "Then you go back to Michigan and I go back to Ohio- _alone_." Brittany watched Santana's eyes fall to her lap. She could see the pain all over her face and it made her stomach flinch. Brittany reached out and slipped her fingers around Santana's. She felt the girl tense up under her for a split second before her muscles relaxed.

"Santana," Brittany breathed with a smile, waiting for the brown eyes to meet hers. Santana finally looked up, the blonde's smile making her heart skip another beat. "Come here," she said, grabbing Santana's legs and laying them across her lap. That turned Santana's body sideways so she was looking right at her. She pulled the girl's legs closer so Santana's face wasn't far from hers. She couldn't keep the palm of her hand from smoothing up and down Santana's thigh, since it was right under her arms. Brittany's hand was leaving a fire trail on Santana's skin and her stomach was fluttering from their contact. "Just to clarify," Brittany started, her voice bolder this time, "I meant that as a question." Santana just swallowed and closed her jaw to keep it from trembling. She didn't show much of a reaction so Brittany continued. "Santana," she said more seriously this time. "I just asked you to be my girlfriend." She was speaking slowly, waiting for it to click in the girl's head. The longer it took, the more nervous Brittany felt. "I just asked you to be my girlfriend," Brittany repeated once more. She found it nearly impossible to not smile with the use of the word girlfriend. "Do you know what Girlfriend means?" She asked almost rhetorically, since she started talking right away. "It means I want to be with you, all the time. And I don't want anyone else to. I want to hug you, kiss you, hold you whenever I can. I want to make you smile and laugh and feel as beautiful as you are. I want to be there for you whenever you need me, even when you don't want me to," Brittany smiled nervously as she bit down on her lip. "But do you know what it _doesn't_ mean?" she asked. Santana shook her head no. Her heart was melting, the heat streaming through her blood. "It doesn't mean it's a two week deal," she said softly. Santana had never felt so light in her life. She literally felt like she was floating.

"I get it," Brittany sighed. "If you don't want this to last longer this trip then, I guess I'll have to accept that," she shrugged sadly. Santana could tell the girl was doing her best to keep her voice even. "But I do want this, so badly. I've- I've never felt this way before," Brittany admitted. "And I want you to be my girlfriend. And I want to tell my parents about you. I want everyone to see how happy you make me. I want to make you feel how you make me feel. I want to be your girlfriend," she swallowed nervously. She knew she was rambling. "For as long as you'll let me."

Santana couldn't believe what was happening. The blonde's words were catching up in her mind, speeding up and slowing down, repeating over and over again. She still couldn't get her thoughts out, at least not in a coherent manner. Instead, her hands landed on the back of Brittany's neck as she leaned into the girl's lips. She shuddered as she felt Brittany's lips turn upward against hers. Santana wanted to do this forever.

"Yes," Santana mumbled, her lips still pressed to Brittany's. Brittany immediately pulled back and stared doe-eyed at the brunette.

"What?" She let out a breathy laugh.

"Yes," Santana shook her head. "I- I want to be your girlfriend. I want you to be my girlfriend," she stammered.

"Are you sure?" Brittany breathed, trying to contain her excitement.

"I've never been so sure," Santana promised the girl. "I want to be with you. After all of this, too," Santana told her. Brittany practically jumped her, her lips crashing against Santana's. The kiss pushed Santana onto her back and sent her spine chilling. Brittany pulled her lips off of Santana's but kept their noses touching.

"I'm sorry I took so long to answer," Santana smiled softly, beginning to feel a little guilty. She couldn't imagine having to wait for Brittany's response for more than a second. "I'm just, you know, scared as fuck," she laughed softly as Brittany's mouth turned into a smile. "I've never felt this way." Brittany's equally bashful expression slowly turned into one of mischief. Santana watched as the girl's arm reached out behind her and her body slowly peeled off of hers. A second later, she was lowering herself back down onto Santana's front, her smile even wider than before.

"Wha-?" Santana began to ask when Brittany's finger quickly wiped along Santana's jawline, spreading a warm substance. Santana's mouth dropped open as her finger shot to where Brittany's had just been. She pulled away and held her finger in front of her face, recognizing the dark liquid as the fondue chocolate.

"Ohhh," Santana laughed as she shook her head at the girl. "You!" Santana used her core to sit up and reach past Brittany towards the fondue. She dipped her finger inside and went after Brittany's face.

"No!" She squealed. Too late. Santana had already drawn a line on her cheek. Brittany quickly retaliated, wiping the chocolate off of her cheek and onto Santana's.

"Brit!" She laughed, trying again to reach into the pot. Brittany caught her arms before she could make it and Santana squirmed to get out of the girl's grip. She was too strong for her, though.

"Hold on," Brittany giggled lightly as she leaned closer to Santana. "You've got something-" she trailed off, bringing her lips closer to Santana. She poked out her tongue and slowly dragged it along the girl's beautiful jawline.

"Mmm," Santana hummed.

"You taste good," Brittany smirked as her tongue continued. She moved onto the girl's cheek, gently kissing away the chocolate, her hands wandering around the girl's neck. Santana's eyes rolled back into her head as Brittany's lips opened wider. Suddenly Brittany giggled and Santana's eyes opened.

"Aren't you gonna help me out?" Brittany grinned devilishly, turning her head to the side to expose the chocolate on her cheek. Santana, fueled by her racing heart, took Brittany's chin into her hands as she slowly licked the chocolate off. Brittany giggled at the contact. As soon as Santana's mouth slid down to her pulse point, though, Santana felt her shudder. She started sucking harder, the girl's skin invigorating her. She could feel the warmth spreading between her legs and she wondered if Brittany was feeling the same. Her question was answered when Brittany used her arms to push Santana onto her back by her shoulders. Her legs straddled Santana's left thigh as she brought her lips back down to Santana's. Santana's pool wetted as Brittany's hips started rocking up and down her leg. Brittany's hands were frantic, tugging on Santana's shirt and running through her hair and caressing her face. She was doing anything to relieve the pressure inside of her. Both girl's were trying to remove the other's clothes, but realized all too quickly even the fire and their bodies couldn't keep them warm enough in this cold. It didn't matter much, though, since they had never felt as close as they did now. They were girlfriends.

Brittany's breath was getting choppy, her center still sliding up and down Santana's leg, and she had to pull her lips off of the girl's. She dragged them down to her neck, her warm breath ironically chilling Santana. Santana's insides were throbbing. The blonde's hands were digging into her side as she pressed her center harder and harder. Santana's back was instinctually arching upward, her leg pressing up into Brittany.

"Ugh," Brittany let out at the contact. Santana took it as a sign to continue. She started rocking her thigh up into Brittany until they were in a grove. Brittany was panting and it only made it harder for Santana to keep her body under control. As soon as Brittany heard Santana elicit a tiny moan, she brought her hand down in between the girl's legs. She impressively unbuttoned the girl's jeans in one swift motion, giving her hand just enough room to slip inside.

"F-uuck," Santana's breath hitched. Brittany's lips pressed lightly into Santana's neck as her two fingers managed to slide down the girl's tight jeans. Santana did her best to keep her thigh pushing upward for Brittany, even though she was writhing underneath the girl.

"Uh!" Brittany's fingers did their best to make tiny circles. It was hard, though, since Santana's jeans were so tight. She wasn't complaining, though. Santana's nails dug into the Brittany's ass, pulling her further onto her leg. As Brittany's hips sped up, it became clear how close she was, and Santana's insides tightened.

"Oh my God," Brittany breathed, her voice tight. Santana's insides were building up with every movement the girl on top of her made.

It all happened so fast. Brittany's teeth dug into Santana's neck as her body contorted against the brunettes, a loud, shaky moan escaping her lips. As the girl collapsed onto her, Santana's insides tightened, she squirmed, and her body gave out.

"B-brit!" bubbled out of her throat. Brittany kept her lips pressed to Santana's neck as her breathing settled. Santana wrapped her arms around Brittany's back, loving being close to the girl. They laid in silence for a moment before Brittany slowly slid down the girl's body. Her hands were dragging down Santana's stomach, her eyes glued to the girl's body. From Santana's view, it looked like the girl was preparing to go down on her. Her heart took off, banging like crazy in her chest. Her chest shook as Brittany's thumbs slowly lifted the bottom of Santana's sweater up no more than an inch. Her lips pressed softly right above Santana's underwear and she held them there for a moment, Santana shuddering beneath her. Then, the girl simply zipped and buttoned Santana's jeans. By the look on her face, Santana assumed the girl wasn't even aware of what it had appeared she was doing. She simply slid back up the girl's body and buried her head into her chest.

Santana hadn't realized how much she wanted that to happen until it almost did.

"Well that was embarrassing," Brittany whispered lightly.

"Hm?" Santana asked, her eyebrows creasing together.

"I just got off without you even touching me," she said. "And may I add, quicker than you. And I was touching you. Obviously not my best work," she joked.

"It's not your fault my jeans are practically glued to me," Santana smiled. "Plus, I wasn't far behind you," she reminded her. Brittany didn't even care that Santana didn't have to touch her directly to make her feel like that. It just showed how crazy the girl drove her. She leaned up and took Santana's lips in hers.

"I guess that's just how girlfriends make each other feel," Brittany smirked. She was dying to use the word in a sentence.

"You're such a dork," Santana laughed as she tightened her arms around the blonde. "You wanna know how girlfriends make each other feel?" Santana smirked. "Just wait till next time were alone and it's _not_ negative ten degrees," she joked. Brittany couldn't answer, she just let herself flush as millions of possibilities floated through her mind. She felt whatever was right below her stomach tighten.

They laid there, more than content, for a few minutes. It wasn't until the thought eating at Santana's mind finally broke free.

"Hey Brit?"

"Hm?" Brittany was busy lacing and unlacing her fingers with Santana's.

"Did you mean what you said earlier? About wanting to tell your parents?" The thought of Brittany wanting to come out, so soon into this, made her heart swell. That had always been a big issue with Riley. Her parents knew she was gay, but for whatever reason, she never wanted her parents to know that Santana was her girlfriend. She told Santana that this way they could continue sleeping in the same room when they had sleepovers, which Santana couldn't really argue with, but deep down, Santana knew there was more to it. She couldn't help but feel like Riley didn't think she was good enough.

"Of course," Brittany said without giving the question any thought. "I'm not gonna hide you from them," she shrugged.

"Do you think they'll, you know, be okay with it?"

"With me being happy?" Brittany asked simply. She was so refreshing. She looked up at Santana. Santana was a little shocked to see what looked like confusing hiding in her eyes.

"With you dating a girl," Santana explained. Brittany shrugged.

"I guess they'll be a little surprised, maybe, but of course they'll be okay with it."

"And you want them to know? That you're dating me?" Santana felt the need to clarify. Brittany's eyebrows creased together a little.

"Of course," she smiled softly. "You're incredible. And I want everyone to see the girl that's making me this happy. I want everyone to see how lucky I am." Brittany's words were hitting Santana right in the heart. Santana couldn't get over the fact that Brittany thought _she _was the lucky one.

"You're amazing," Santana breathed. Brittany's lips closed the gap between them.

"And you're my girlfriend," Brittany giggled.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

Santana's fist banged against the door.

"Come on," she mumbled as she waited for an answer.

"Santana?" Her father squinted as the light from the hallway hit his sleepy eyes. His arm shot up in an effort to block some of the light. "Are you alright? ¿Qué estás haciendo?"

"Lo siento," she apologized. She realized it was after midnight, but she had to tell someone and he was the only one around that would actually care. "I'm fine. Great, actually. I just, I wanted to tell you something."

"Come in," he said as he shuffled to the side. "How was your date?" He asked. As he said the word, his face began to light up in realization. "Ah, how did it go?"

"It was," she breathed looking for the right word. "Dad, you should have seen it. This place was unbelievable. You've got to take Christine there or something." As soon as she said that, she regretted it. The thought kind of grossed her out, her Dad doing what she had just been doing. Her Dad sat down on his bed and Santana stood in front of him unable to keep it in any longer.

"Brittany asked me to be her girlfriend," she said simply. It was pretty dark but Santana could still see his eyebrows shoot up.

"And?" He sang softly, waiting for her answer.

"I said yes," she smiled softly. Antony froze for a moment before his chest let out one breathy laugh.

"You said yes?" He confirmed. She nodded and his expression didn't change much. "You said yes," he stated with a smile. She nodded again and rolled her eyes.

"Mija!" He cheered, standing up to wrap her up in his arms. Santana knew he'd understand how big of a deal this was. "You," he laughed, holding her at arms distance. "When'd you get so mature," he joked.

"Shut up," she laughed. As much as she normally hated this attention, she was way too happy to care.

"Wow," he sighed. "I'm so happy for you," he kissed her forehead. They fell into a comfortable silence as Santana sat down beside him.

"So," he started softly. From the tone of his voice Santana knew exactly where this was headed. "Have you thought about, you know, what happens after this? When we leave?" Santana nodded. It was pretty funny, really, how similar her and her father had always been.

"Yeah, I know," she sighed. "It's gonna suck. But that was the first thing I said," she shrugged. "You know me," she smiled. "I think too much."

"It's not always a bad thing," he breathed, his hand landing on the small of Santana's back. "You're just trying to protect yourself." They both knew, though, that thinking too much was what kept her Dad single this long. They were both worriers.

"What about Christine?" Santana quietly rebutted. "Have you thought about the after with her?"

"Of course," he whispered silently, realizing how similar their situations were.

"We can't let this go, Dad," Santana whispered back. She let her head fall onto his shoulder and he sighed. He knew exactly what she meant. They each had a shot at love right at their fingertips and it would be utterly foolish to let it out of their reaches.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"Mom?" Brittany called as she stepped into their half of the room. Her Mom was laying in bed with a smile.

"Brit, how was your night? You got in pretty late. Did Santana have fun?"

"Yeah, she loved it," Brittany smiled. "That place is awesome. I see why you and Dad love it so much. Where is Dad?" She asked as soon as she realized they were the only two around.

"He took Lincoln to go grab some breakfast. I wasn't too hungry, yet. Thought I'd wait for you to wake up."

"Oh, thanks," she smiled weakly. She kind of felt guilty for sleeping in so long. "Sorry," she muttered. Her Mom just chuckled a little.

"So tell me about your night? Did Santana like the tube ride?" Brittany was biting her tongue so she wouldn't reveal too much. She wanted to tell her mother everything, but she knew it would be easier to tell her parents together. So she'd wait.

"Yeah," Brittany laughed. "She was definitely surprised though. I think we're gonna take Lincoln out tubing sometime this week, though."

"Oh that would be wonderful!"

"Hey Mom," Brittany said again suddenly remembering something. "I kind of, um, invited Santana and her Father to uh, spend Christmas with us. I mean, it's just the two of them here, and her Dad's with Christine and everything so I just though-"

"Of course!" Her mom smiled. "The more the merrier!" Brittany let out a sigh of relief. She hadn't really thought to ask her parents. She knew they'd say yes, though, but still.

"You've got a good heart, kiddo," her Mom smiled softly. "Now let's go get some breakfast before they close. I'm starving." Brittany laughed as she headed into her room to grab a sweatshirt.

Everything seemed set. Santana, her girlfriend, was gonna spend Christmas with her and her family. She was going to show Santana why Christmas so was so great. It wouldn't be too hard, though. Brittany was the Christmas expert. But she needed to make it perfect. The food, the celebration, the music, the gifts.

Crap. Brittany couldn't think of any gift worthy of Santana.

Maybe this was going to be harder than she thought.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

**Hey guys- I just wanted to say to all the Brittana fans in despair right now PLEASE hang in there! I promise you things will look up soon. Brittana is endgame and anything you hear otherwise is trolling/pr. Just remember- Brittana is about hope and hope for the future so don't lose it!**

**Let me know what you think! Xx I know it's on the shorter end but the last few have been longer and it's the end of the semester so this week has been crazy. I'll update soon!**

**slaves4hemo**


	18. Chapter 18

"Oh, Christine will love that idea!" Brittany grinned at her father's enthusiasm.

"So it's okay then?" Brittany confirmed. Her Mom had already approved the idea, but she was glad her father was willingly going along with it, too.

"Of course! I'll let Christine know and tell her to invite Antony. Wouldn't want it to be just the two of them on Christmas." Brittany threw her arms around her Father's neck, then suddenly recoiled. Was it strange to be this excited? Her father was smiling at her with a slightly confused stare, but no more confused than his normal stare.

"Your Mother tells me you and Santana are planning to take Lincoln tubing soon?" The mention of her _girlfriend's_ name made her heart flip. She sucked her lips in to keep from smiling like a fool.

"Mhm," she nodded.

"Yay!" Lincoln banged the table with his fork.

"Lincoln," her Dad chided with a smile. He looked down and pouted.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"I've gotta thank that girl then," he breathed. "Your Mom and I need a nice little break from children." He looked over at his wife with a smile.

"Ew," Brittany mumbled under her breath. Her Mom was the only one who heard and she sent her elbow lightly into Brittany's arm. "Um, also," Brittany swallowed. "I kind of wanted to talk to you two," she started, "about something kind of important." Brittany was too busy fiddling with the tablecloth to notice her parents exchange an almost knowing glance. It seemed like they were arguing, one trying to prove a point to the other.

"Yes, honey?" Her Dad grinned.

"Robertooo!" Antony chimed in with an exaggerated spanish accent. Brittany's father chuckled as he took Antony's hand in his own. Their weird bromance was only getting heavier.

"How are you doing, man?" He smiled. "We were just talking about you."

"Oh, no way. I'm doing great, how are you?" He turned to greet the rest of the family and when his eyes fell on Brittany, he couldn't help his smile from growing wider. Santana walked up and hit her Dad playfully on the arm.

"Hey, Santana," Mr. Pierce greeted.

"Hey," she smiled, her eyes immediately finding Brittany's. Both the girl's faces heated up the second they locked eyes.

"I heard you're gonna take this little guy out tubing. The ride in was fun, huh?" He asked.

"Oh yeah, it was awesome." Santana did her best to keep her focus on Mr. Pierce, but the mention of last night accompanied with the word _ride_ was making her entire body flush.

"Well, we'll let you get back to breakfast. We're supposed to be meeting Christine soon."

The lovers (Robert and Antony) said their goodbyes while Santana and Brittany gave each other shy eyes.

"Love that guy," Mr. Pierce laughed to himself. "Anyway, you were saying something honey?" Brittany didn't think she'd be this nervous, but she could feel her heart rate pick up. She knew they weren't going to disown her or anything, but she knew it was still big news to take in.

"Um, maybe I should just wait. Do you think maybe after breakfast, in the room, we can talk? In private?"

"Sure," her Dad said slowly. "We'll just drop Lincoln off with Jake for a little and we'll meet you back up there, that sound good?" Jake was one of Lincoln's little buddies. Brittany nodded.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

Brittany's parents sat down on the edge of the bed, as per Brittany's instructions, and looked up expectantly at their daughter. Brittany tried not to pace back and forth like she normally did when she was nervous, but she couldn't help her feet from going.

"Brit," Her mother cooed. "Whatever you have to say, it's okay," she smiled.

"Come on, spit it out." Brittany halted her feet and nodded.

"Okay," she took a deep breath. She hadn't thought much about how to approach this. Was she supposed to tell a story? Was she supposed to lead up to the news? Was she supposed to just blurt it out?

She did what she normally did, the latter.

"Santana's my girlfriend," she blurted out, just like word vomit. That's how she normally acted, no need to change her ways now.

Her father's smile grew as her Mom's eyes widened a little.

"I- I asked her last night and she said yes." Brittany waited for any reaction out of the two of them before she would explain herself. Suddenly, her father turned to his wife with a big grin and pointed a finger at her.

"Ha! I told you!" Her mother just giggled as she shook her head.

"What?" Brittany breathed.

"I told you," he sang to her again, ignoring Brittany.

"Hello?" Brittany called and both of their attentions snapped to her. "You knew?" She asked confused.

"_I_ knew," her father bragged again. "This one, on the other hand, doesn't know her daughter quite as well as I do."

"Oh stop it," she shook her head. "It just wasn't my secret to tell," she told him. "I couldn't just assume something without her telling us."

"Wait, what? I'm confused," Brittany shook her head. "How did you know?"

"Honey," her father laughed. "You asked me to help you get reservations at _the_ most romantic restaurant in the world."

Brittany grabbed the back of her neck with her hand nervously, realizing how obvious she'd been.

"Oh," she muttered.

"I, on the other hand," her mother started, "was just trying to defend you in the case that those weren't your intentions. You know, you hadn't been there in a few years, so I thought maybe you just didn't remember the romantic aspect. Maybe you just remembered the snow tube." Brittany nodded as she tried to take it all in. "But," her Mom cooed as she stood up to approach her daughter. "That does _not_ mean that I'm not okay with this." She took Brittany's face into her hands to make her daughter look at her. "I just wanted _you _to be the one to tell me." Brittany smiled and relief she didn't realize she needed flooded her body. Her Dad came over to join in the hugging.

"We just want you to date whoever makes you happy and treats you right," he told her. "Girl or guy, we don't care." Brittany's head fell into them. She couldn't remember a time she'd felt so grateful. She knew how many people didn't have it this easy. Some of her dancer friends had spent countless nights on her sofa after long arguments with their parents. She never really thought she'd be in this position, but she was more than grateful that her parents were so understanding.

"Thank you," she mumbled into her father's chest.

"Hey," he pulled her off and wiped away a tear she hadn't felt under her eye. "Why you crying?"

"I don't know," she giggled and they joined her. "I love you guys."

"We love you, too," she said in unison. The hug lasted a few more seconds before her father went back to sit on the couch.

"And we like Santana, a lot, if that makes you feel any better," he smiled.

"Yeah, me too," Brittany confessed meekly.

"Brittany, honey," her mother said more seriously. "Never be scared to tell us what makes you happy. That's all we want for you, we want you to be happy more than anything else." Brittany nodded.

"More than anything," her father reiterated. "And if you're not happy, you have to tell us, too," he wanted her to promise. His eyes were pleading. As Brittany looked into them she felt herself freeze.

She swallowed hard.

"I don't like Michigan."

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"Santana!" Brittany banged on the door. "Santana, open up!"

"Hold on," Santana shuffled as she shoved everything into the box and slid it under her bed.

"Santana!" Brittany banged again. Santana giggled at the girl's impatience and quickly made her way to her door.

"Hi," Santana giggled as Brittany practically jumped onto her, latching her arms tightly around the girl's neck. Santana hugged her back and she could feel Brittany's heart racing.

"I have good news!" She cheered. "What took you so long?" Santana's eyes widened.

"Brit, it wasn't even a minute." Brittany still waited for an answer. "I had to take care of something," Santana said vaguely. Brittany smirked when she realized Santana was trying to keep something from her.

"Hm? Like what?"

"Nothing, don't you have some great news or something?" Santana tried to divert the subject.

"Santana," Brittany said in a seductive voice, walking closer towards her. "We're girlfriends now," she cooed as she wrapped her arms around Santana's waist. "We're supposed to tell each other everything." Her warm breath on Santana's neck made the girl shudder.

"It's a surprise," Santana managed to say steadily. Brittany's lower lip jutted out and she pouted down at the girl. Santana sighed.

"If I tell you will you tell me the good news?" Brittany smiled and gave Santana a soft, just-because kiss. "I'm doing something for you, so you can't see it, okay?"

"For me?" Brittany grinned.

"Mhm, and you're trying to ruin the surprise."

"Well when will I get this surprise? I'm not good at waiting."

"Thanks to you, Christmas dinner," Santana smiled.

"You got the official invite?" Brittany grinned back hopefully.

"Yup. My Dad's super excited, so thank you." Brittany couldn't stop smiling, first because of what she assumed was her Christmas gift, and second because they were going to spend Christmas together. She'd always wanted to spend Christmas with someone important and she couldn't think of anyone she'd rather spend it with than Santana.

"I thought you didn't like Christmas, gifts included?" Brittany asked cautiously.

"But I like you," Santana said without missing a beat. She took Brittany's lips in hers and was shocked once again at how quickly it made her stomach flip.

"Now, are you going to tell me your news or did you just bang down my door for nothing?"

"Oh my God," Brittany's face lit up again. She pushed Santana over to the bed and they sat down on the edge. "First of all, I told my parents, you know, about us, and they're totally fine with it! And they kind of knew," she squinted still a little befuddled by the whole idea. "But they told me they love me no matter what and they just want me to be happy. Oh and they like you, too," Brittany smiled. She took a breath after speaking a mile a minute.

"Brit!" Santana smiled. The girl was insanely cute when she rambled. "That's awesome." She still couldn't grasp the fact that Brittany wanted to share her with her parents. She pulled the blonde into a hug and whispered "thank you" into her ear. Brittany didn't quite pick up how deep Santana's thank you went, probably because her mind was already onto her next thought.

"And," Brittany sang as she pulled out of the hug, "Then they told me to tell them when I wasn't happy-"

"Wait, that wasn't your _big_ news?"

"Well, that's great and all," Brittany shrugged. "I mean, I'm really really happy and relieved about all that but I was never really too worried about that, I'm not sure why. But then, they practically begged me to tell them when I'm not happy. And it just blurted out of me! I said, 'I don't like Michigan,'" Brittany mocked herself. Santana's eyes widened. "At first, they thought I was just talking about home in general. But I told them everything. How I want to study dance and I don't like Michigan and I really just don't think I'm as happy as I could be."

"Brit," Santana breathed with pride.

"I know," Brittany shook her head in disbelief. "I know, it's crazy! I mean, at first I thought they were mad. But I think they were only mad because I'd never told them. I told them how I didn't dance because I thought that's what they wanted and they felt _so_ bad. They kept saying how sorry they were for making me feel that way and that they'd support me in anything I did."

"Babe, that's awesome," Santana beamed as she took Brittany's hands in hers. Brittany's heart skipped a beat and Santana noticed the girl's frozen expression.

"What?" She finally asked.

"You- you called me babe," Brittany breathed. She watched Santana's cheeks redden and Brittany's smile visibly widened.

"I-I'm sorry," Santana stammered. "I didn't realize, it just sort of slipped out."

"No," Brittany bit down on her lower lip. "I like it." She knew Santana was still a little embarrassed so she gave her a tiny kiss on the cheek, which actually made her blush more.

"Anyway," Brittany smiled, not completely over the fact that Santana had just called her babe. "They want to help me. You know, be happy," Brittany smiled. The excitement started filling Brittany again and her energy was contagious. "So," Brittany sang. "My Mom said she's gonna call all the schools that I got into for dance and see if she can send my transcript over from last semester and if they have a spot still then maybe I can start there this semester. Either way, they promised me by next fall I'll be dancing wherever I want!"

"Brit!" Santana couldn't contain herself and she leaned in to give the girl a tight hug. She pulled away to cup Brittany's cheeks in her hands and pressed her lips hard into the girl. "I'm so happy for you," she breathed as she pulled away.

"It's all because of you," Brittany confessed as she kept her forehead pressed to Santana's.

"Huh?"

"You made me realize what it means to be happy. For real," Brittany whispered earnestly. Santana's heart sped up. The way Brittany was revealing herself made her feel incredible. By the look on the girl's face, it didn't even seem like she knew how much she was saying. "And you made me believe I deserved it. You gave me the confidence to tell my parents I've been searching for for forever. More literally, though," Brittany chuckled a little, "if you had never become my girlfriend that conversation would _definitely_ not have happened." Santana laughed lightly at the girl's reasoning.

"I didn't do anything," Santana smiled. "You're just finally getting what you deserve."

Santana gasped as Brittany's body pressed up against hers, forcing her down onto her back. Nobody had ever managed to make Brittany feel that way. So worthy, beautiful, happy.

"You're amazing," Brittany husked as her lips attacked Santana's. She adjusted her legs so they were straddling Santana's waist. Santana tore her lips from Brittany's and dug her teeth lightly into Brittany's neck.

"Umf," she moaned as Santana tried to tug her shirt over her head.

Add turned on to the list of things Santana made Brittany feel. As soon as Brittany's shirt was over her head, Santana used her hands to Bring Brittany's chest closer to her and slowed her lips down, taking in all of Brittany's skin. She had never tasted anyone so sweet. She could feel Brittany's hips begin to grind into her and she slowly slid her hands down the girl's body, sliding her sweats lower and lower. Santana's lips began trailing down Brittany's stomach and she could feel the blonde's perfectly sculpted abs contract beneath her with every touch. Her lips reached the top of Brittany's waistband and she looked up at the girl on top of her.

"This okay?" She breathed. Brittany's insides were shaking and her heart was racing but the pressure between her legs needed release. She nodded a few times, needing the girl's lips back on her as soon as possible. When Santana didn't immediately comply, she urged, "Yes. Yes, it's okay. Yes." Santana giggled as she drew her tongue along the girl's lower abs.

Knock knock.

Brittany groaned at the interruption. Or rather, at Santana's lips departing from her skin.

"It's okay," Santana ignored the knock and began kissing Brittany's abs again.

Knock knock knock.

"Brit Brit?" A little voice called from behind the door.

"Shit," Brittany groaned. She climbed off of Santana, quickly slid her pants up, and rummaged for her shirt on the ground. Brittany combed her fingers through her hair, something that drove Santana crazy, and gave Santana an apologetic look.

Brittany opened the door and immediately squatted down to her knees.

"Hi buddy, what are you doing here?" She asked using all the patience she could find.

"Daddy said you'd take me tubing," Lincoln smiled with bright eyes.

"Yeah, tomorrow I thought," Brittany said sympathetically. "You didn't come here on your own, did you?" Brittany panicked, suddenly worried. She peaked her head out the door but couldn't see anyone. Lincoln sucked his lips in and tried his best to fight back a smile. He shook his head, like he wasn't allowed to say anything. Brittany peaked her head out a little further and could hear a few chuckles from around the corner.

"Is that Daddy and Mommy?" Brittany whispered as quietly as she could. Lincoln quickly looked towards the corner to make sure they weren't looking and quickly nodded. Brittany just laughed and shook her head.

"Pleeeease," Lincoln begged. "Can we go tubing?"

"Buddy, I'm kind of busy with my friend right now-"

"Hey Lincoln," Santana stood up from behind the door.

"Hi," he waved bashfully.

"What's this about tubing? You want to go?" He nodded, barely able to look the girl in the eyes. "Well what are we waiting for? You better get dressed, you can't be out in the snow in those shorts!"

"Yay!" Lincoln jumped. He immediately took off towards the corner yelling, "she said yes! She said yes!"

Mr. Pierce scooped him up and they gave each other a little high five.

"I knew they couldn't resist you," he smiled as he rushed onto the elevator. "You better be extra nice to Santana," he laughed.

"San, you didn't have to do that," Brittany turned towards her girl and stood up to meet her.

"Babe, it's fine," she smiled, blushing again at the use of the word. Brittany was, too. She loved how Santana called her that so naturally. "I want to spend time with your family, too. Plus we'll be together. And you look really, _really _cute in your snow outfit," she flirted, her nose scrunching upward. She wrapped her arms around Brittany shoulder's and gave her a soft kiss.

"You're the best," Brittany shook her head. "I guess I'll go get changed and we'll come down to get you?"

"Sounds good," Santana smiled as Brittany leaned in to give her another girlfriend kiss.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"Don't let go!" Brittany called out to Lincoln. She knew it was a bad idea, but Lincoln wanted to try sitting in his own tube instead of on Brittany's lap. Instead, the three of them each got their own inter tube and the attendant, who insisted Lincoln was big enough, gave them a long rope with three rings spaced out evenly. This way, the could all hold on to the rings and stay connected all the way down the hill. The only problem was Lincoln was having trouble gripping the tube _and_ the ring.

"Weee!" Lincoln called, not realizing how high he was bouncing out of the tube. Since the girl's weighed substantially more than Lincoln, they didn't have to grip the tube's handles to keep from flying out of the tube, and they had no problem hanging onto the rope.

They were approaching the last big drop and the girl's realized Lincoln wasn't completely on the tube.

"Lincoln grab on tighter!" Brittany yelled at the boy. Lincoln looked around frantic, unsure of what to do with his hands.

"Grab the tube," she urged him. From his eyes, though, it was apparent he didn't want to be separated from the girl's. Dropping the rope meant he'd lose the girl's, but _not_ dropping the rope likely meant flying out of the tube.

Without thinking, Santana began pulling lightly on the rope to bring her closer to the boy. She couldn't pull too hard or she'd make Lincoln lose his grip on the rope. Within a few seconds, her tube was only a foot away from Lincoln's. The big drop was approaching and both girl's could tell Lincoln didn't have a hold on the tube. By the way he had stopped screaming it seemed he realized he wasn't exactly safe. Santana adjusted her body on the tube so she was more on the edge and, careful not to tip over, reached out and grabbed onto the handle of Lincoln's tube and pulled it towards her. The boy looked up at her like she was the savior of the world.

"Drop the ring," Santana told him quickly. He looked panicked and was unsure of what to do. He turned to Brittany who gave him the same expression. "Drop the ring and hold on to the handles," Santana said slower this time. "I'll hold your tube so you won't lose us, okay?" Lincoln's breath was choppy and he still appeared unsure of what to do. His lip had begun to quiver and Santana could tell he was seconds away from bursting into tears.

"It's okay," Brittany called out. "She's got you!" Just before they tipped over the drop, Lincoln dropped the ring and his tiny hands latched onto the tube's handles. He immediately sighed in relief.

"Wee!" he giggled again, returning to his worry-free self.

When they made it to the bottom of the mountain, Lincoln hopped up like it was no big deal and started dragging his tube towards the ski lift.

"Santana!" Brittany ran up and tossed her arms around the girl, pulling her in tightly. "Thank you thank you thank you," she mumbled into her jacket. "Thank you!"

"No problem," Santana laughed. "He would have been fine," she shrugged.

"Are you joking?" Brittany's eyebrows shot up. "He was about to fly right out of that thing!" Santana laughed a little. "Thank you for thinking so quickly," Brittany said, almost a little embarrassed that she couldn't save her little brother.

"If you were next to him you would have done the same," Santana smiled. Brittany wasn't so sure of that, but she loved that Santana was.

"You're amazing," Brittany repeated for the fifteenth time that day. She leaned in to give Santana a small mouse kiss. Both of their bodies chilled, not from the cool air, but from the rush of kissing so openly. Santana blushed as the girls picked up their tubes and headed after Lincoln.

They finally made it onto the ski lift, Santana and Brittany on the outside, Lincoln in the middle for obvious safety reasons.

"Why did you kiss Santana?" Lincoln asked innocently as he watched the tubers below him rush down the mountain. Santana panicked and looked up, expecting Brittany to be panicking as well, but she wasn't.

"Because she saved your life, Evel Knievel," Brittany joked. Lincoln's smile grew at the comparison. He loved feeling brave. "You're probably the one that owes her the kiss." Without missing a beat the little boy looked up and stretched his neck up to give Santana a tiny kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you," he said nonchalantly. He was just like his sister. He did the cutest, sweetest things without realizing how big of a deal they were to Santana.

"Anytime little guy," she smiled wide.

"But you kissed her on the lips," Lincoln said like he just remembered the minor fact.

"Because she's my girlfriend," Brittany said back.

"You mean like Jackie? Or Nikki?" He asked thinking about a few of Brittany's friends back home.

"No," Brittany shook her head. "Like Sam was," she tried to explain. "You know how he was my boyfriend?" Lincoln nodded. "Well Santana's my girlfriend."

"Oh," he said simply, finally understanding what his sister meant. "I want to ride with Santana this time."

"Okay," Brittany smiled at Santana. The girl was blushing hard and Brittany loved it. Nothing made her happier than someone taking care of her brother like that and her brother taking to someone the way he was to Santana.

They made it to the top of the mountain and decided to get two tubes this time, since Lincoln wanted to ride down with Santana.

They were waiting in the not-so-long line when Santana couldn't look away from Brittany's eyes. Her blue hat was making them look incredible.

"What?" Brittany smiled completely unaware. For whatever reason, Santana got nervous.

"I- I just really like your hat," she smiled.

"Oh, thanks! I made it myself," Brittany grinned.

"Really?" Santana's eyes widened. It was perfectly knitted and didn't look homemade at all.

"Mhm, I love hats."

"I don't even own a winter hat," Santana laughed.

"What? Who doesn't own a winter hat?" Brittany sounded offended.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I just never bought one. Honestly, if you hadn't given me these ear warmers I'd be screwed," she laughed. "This wind is brutal."

"How can I date someone who doesn't own a winter hat?" Brittany shook her head as she looked down at the ground.

"Hey," Santana giggled as she used her thumb to point Brittany's chin back upward. "Because I make your tummy do this," she husked as she leaned in and gave the girl a short but tender kiss on the mouth. On cue, her stomach did all sorts of flips as her body tingled. When Brittany pulled away she was blushing. Hard.

"Touché," Brittany laughed.

"Brittany?" A quiet voice came from behind. Brittany's head snapped around, almost instantly recognizing the voice. Her heart dropped and she searched through the few people in line behind her who were paying little to no attention to her. Her stomach tied into a giant knot when she spotted Kate then Alex. As her eyes went upward, she saw Sam standing there, mouth agape, his eyes flickering between Brittany and Santana.

"_Shit_," she breathed.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

**Helloooo everybody I hope you're still enjoying this! Let me know what you think and thank you for all the support/being patient and understanding!**

**xoxo**


	19. Chapter 19

"Sam," Brittany used all the energy she could find to muster up a smile but even that wasn't enough to hide her horrified expression. She wasn't sure why she was so horrified, she wasn't with Sam and she was allowed to kiss whoever she wanted. But she thought maybe it had something to do with the fact that Sam had no clue Brittany could ever be into a girl, or maybe it had to do with the fact that Brittany hadn't quite gotten the chance to tell the boy, or maybe it was just the ordinary discomfort of having your ex-boyfriend and current girlfriend in the same place at the same time.

Santana's heart sank when she saw the look in Brittany's eyes. She knew she shouldn't feel guilty, but she couldn't help it, she had _something_ to do with it. She watched Brittany's mouth tremble, opening and closing a few times as she struggled to get something out. Santana's eyes flickered between a frozen Sam and Brittany, both seemingly paralyzed from shock.

"Miss," A deep voice called making everyone but Brittany turn. "Your up," the attendant smiled politely at Santana. She turned back to Brittany, wanting to get her attention, Lincoln beat her to it.

"Brit Brit!" He called up. "It's our turn!" Brittany's head shot down to him for a split second before turning back to the still perplexed Sam. "Come on," her brother pouted as he grabbed for her hand and pulled her forward. Brittany looked behind her at Sam as Lincoln dragged her to the edge of the mountain. She was trying to signal something, but she couldn't even figure out exactly what.

"You okay?" Santana breathed as Brittany finally focused her attention on the drop below them.

"Uh, yeah," she swallowed.

"I'm sorry," Santana said earnestly. "I didn't know he was there and I-"

"No," Brittany sighed. Then she actually smiled. "Never apologize for kissing me," Brittany whispered as she reached out to grab Santana's hand. Santana's frown washed away as quickly as it had appeared.

"Come on, guys," Lincoln sang out. Santana laughed as she took a seat in her tube, Lincoln not-so-shyly climbing onto her lap. Once Brittany was in her tube they handed her and Santana two ends of the rope, which Santana then gave to Lincoln.

"You wanna hang onto this?" She asked him. The boy's face lit up and he nodded adamantly.

"Have fun!" The attendant smiled as he gently pushed Brittany forward with his foot. Within a second her weight was tugging Santana and Lincoln down with her.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"Again, again!" Lincoln jumped off from Santana's lap, but not before grabbing Santana's hand in his own tinier one.

"Hold up little guy," Santana smiled. Lincoln's feet stopped almost immediately. Had it been Brittany telling him to hold up, he probably just would have tugged harder.

"Hey," Santana smiled softly when Brittany finally caught up.

"He really likes you," Brittany nodded to her brother with a giggle. "Thanks for doing this," She said more seriously, beginning to wonder if having Lincoln around was annoying Santana.

"For doing what?" Santana asked genuinely. "And he's the coolest little dude around," she smiled down at the boy. She couldn't get over how cute he was- his hair, his eyes, his smile, his voice. It was like a mini, male Brittany who seemed to like Santana almost as much as his sister.

"Yeah," Brittany sighed before falling quiet.

"You alright? About, you know, what happened up there?" Santana whispered. Brittany nodded.

"Do you mind if, um, maybe we wait here for a minute? For Sam?" Brittany gulped. She knew this was a big no-no. Bringing up the ex and seemingly choosing him over time with Santana, but what had just happened was eating at her.

"Of course," Santana nodded. She didn't completely understand, but whatever Brittany needed to do she would do.

"Thanks. I just, I think I kind of need to talk to him. I want him to know about us, too, for us," Brittany explained. "Also, I kind of think he deserves it," she shrugged bashfully.

"No, of course," Santana repeated herself. "You're right. Do you want me to take Lincoln back up and give you guys a minute?"

"No," she shook her head. "That's not fair. You can be here. I want you here." Santana smiled, feeling a little relieved.

They took a seat on the bench towards the bottom of the hill and waited for the next three groups to come down before Sam and his two siblings made it to the bottom. Alex and Kate each had their own tube. Even though Alex and Lincoln were the same age, Alex was considerably heavier since he not only had a few inches on Lincoln but was also twice as broad.

Brittany anxiously jumped to her feet when she saw him. After Sam helped his little brother out of the tube, he turned to see Brittany standing less than ten feet from him. She sighed at his much friendlier smile. He had significantly relaxed and Brittany was hoping some of that would rub off onto her.

"Hey," Brittany breathed nervously.

"Hey Brit," Sam said cooly. Brittany wasn't sure if he was actually this calm or just putting on a show for his siblings.

"Hi!" Kate and Alex added and Brittany returned it with a small wave.

"Hey Santana," Sam said just as casually to the brunette. "What's up Lincoln," he added in a silly voice. The boy giggled.

"Hey Sam," Brittany started quietly while Lincoln dropped Santana's hand to run towards Alex. "Do you think we could maybe talk for a few minutes. Whenever you can, I get it if you're busy now, I just have some, um, things to tell you." Sam could tell from the way Brittany was pulling on the back of her neck that the girl was nervous.

"Yeah, of course," he nodded understandingly. "Now? We can head into the lodge and get some hot chocolate?"

"Yeah," she sighed.

"I don't wanna go inside!" Alex called up.

"Me neither!" Lincoln added. "I wanna go down the hill again." By the defeated look on the two blonde's faces it was clear to Santana that neither of them had remembered they were in charge of their younger siblings. Santana quickly shuffled over to Brittany and leaned into her ear. Brittany quickly wondered what was running through Sam's mind, but when Santana's hands landed on her arm all she could focus on was the girl.

"I don't mind taking them for one more ride," Santana offered. "Then I'll bring them in for hot chocolate. It'll give you guys some time to talk. Unless you don't want to be alone," Santana realized. That had been why she was whispering, she didn't want the kids or Sam to influence Brittany's decision.

"No," Brittany shook her head. "I couldn't ask you to do that."

"You didn't," Santana smiled as she pulled slightly away from Brittany. "Please," Santana offered. "Look how cute they are," she shrugged. "It's not like it's torture. And it'll make you feel better." Brittany didn't know what to say. So instead of saying something stupid, she leaned in and kissed Santana's cheek.

_Shit_, she thought when she pulled away. That's exactly what got her into this conversation in the first place.

"Come on, kiddies," Santana said half sarcastically. "Auntie Tana's gonna take you for another ride."

"Yes!" All three kids hopped up and quickly followed behind the brunette.

"T-thanks!" Sam called after her, not taking his eyes away from Brittany's lips that had just kissed Santana's skin. When she turned back to him their eyes locked and both softened.

"Wanna tell me what's going on?" He said as lightly as he could. Brittany always appreciated the way he tried to keep the mood easy, especially in situations he knew made Brittany tense.

"Let's just get some hot chocolate, first," she mumbled, needing some sort of warmth now that Santana was gone.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"So," Sam sighed after Brittany finished telling the tale of Lincoln's almost last few moments alive. "What's up?" He asked trying to seem vague, but they both knew it was time to talk.

"Um, well," Brittany started, fiddling with the cardboard heat protecter around her cup. "I guess, what you _saw_," Brittany said slowly. "It's kind of exactly what it looks like." She gulped and kept her eyes on her cup as she waited for Sam to respond. He didn't, though, and the silence became too much for her to handle. Her eyes slid up to his. His expression was blank.

"I'm- we're sort of," she swallowed. She wasn't sure why this was so much harder than telling her parents. "I like her," she said. He nodded slowly. "We've been hanging out and, you know, stuff," she said when she couldn't think of what else to say, but she quickly realized adding "stuff" had another connotation she hadn't intended. By the way his eyes widened Brittany was sure he'd picked up on it. She thought about taking it back, but then she'd be lying. She hated lying.

"I asked her to be my girlfriend," she blurted out. As the words slipped out, her chest immediately lightened. Brittany could almost see the breath escaping Sam's lips.

"G-girlfriend?" His eyebrows lifted. Brittany's head hesitantly nodded up and down as she bit down on her lip. "I- I wanted to tell you, I promise," she started rambling. "I really did. It just happened like literally last night and I just told my parents this morning and I hadn't seen you and-"

"Brit, it's okay," he sighed. She could tell from his voice that he was hurt, but she knew he meant it. He wasn't mad that she hadn't told him yet. He understood that. Brittany nodded again, still unsure of what to say. Sam took a sip of his hot chocolate and Brittany could see him thinking.

"You- you okay?" She finally asked.

"Huh?" He quickly looked up. "Oh, yeah," he shook his head. "No, I'm fine."

"Sam," she sighed. He knew she could tell something was wrong. She always could.

"I just-" he stopped. Brittany could tell how careful he was being with his words. "Was I? I mean, did you even-?" His voice was strained and Brittany wasn't sure if he was about to cry or not. "You could have told me, you know," he said weakly.

"What?" Sam looked up at her, his eyes almost pleading, and something suddenly clicked in Brittany's head.

"Oh my God, Sam, no," she shook her head. "No. No, no, no, no." His eyebrows creased together as he looked up at the girl. "Sam, of course I loved you." As she said those words, though, her feelings for Santana rushed through her. What her and Sam had, it was real, she knew that. At one point, he had made her stomach flip and her heart race. But what her and Santana shared now was _way_ beyond that. She almost froze for a minute but Sam's gaze on her snapped her out of it.

"We were real. I wasn't- I didn't use- Sam, I'm not gay," she shook her head. He squinted at the girl, not grasping anything anymore.

"Santana," he said slowly, not quite understanding.

"I guess I'm like, bi or something," she shrugged. "I don't know, it doesn't matter."

"Oh," Sam breathed. Realization slowly washed over him and Brittany could see him relax. He nodded a few times, taking in everything.

"I promise you, you and I, we weren't a lie," she stated, unsure of what else to say.

"I believe you," he said without a doubt. "I- I didn't mean to doubt it I was just a little confused." Brittany nodded. She couldn't really blame the guy. This all happened so fast.

"So Santana, huh?" He smiled. The reappearance of his goofy grin made Brittany relax.

"Santana," she smiled.

"You're happy?" Brittany nodded, the smile spreading on her face.

"Good," he smiled. "Than so am I." Brittany giggled lightly.

"Thank you," she whispered. She didn't have to say for what, Sam just smiled back.

"So you excited for Christmas?" Sam asked. Brittany was grateful for the change in subject.

"Oh yeah," Brittany grinned, the childish excitement coming out in her voice. "Can't wait! Two more days till I get to watch the Grinch!"

"Always loved that Christmas Eve tradition," he shook his head. "_You're a freak with a red nose and nobody likes you_," Sam perfectly impersonated Brittany's favorite line from the movie. She guffawed. "What about new years?" He asked. "Anything cool?"

"They have this big party. It'll be fun, I promise."

"Does everyone go?"

"Pretty much," she shrugged. Sam faded out for a minute and a tiny smirk popped onto Brittany's lips.

"What?" He smiled.

"Who are you hoping for?" There was a tint of red on Sam's cheeks.

"No one, I don't know, I just-"

"Sam, you can tell me," she laughed. "I mean I just dropped the news of me getting a _girlfriend_ on you, I think you can tell me." Sam let out a breathy laugh.

"True. I think Quinn may be a little...interested?"

"Oo!" Brittany flickered her eyebrows up and down. Sam rolled his eyes.

"I wasn't really responding for awhile. I don't know, I think I was still a little, um, hung up?" He signaled vaguely to Brittany. "She's really cool, though. Obviously she's super pretty. But we've hung out a few times and I've had a lot of fun-"

"Go for it," Brittany said simply.

"Hm?"

"Don't think so much. We've only got a little bit of time left, anyway."

At the same time, both of their faces dropped. Neither of them wanted to leave.

"Brittany, Brittany!" Lincoln came running up. "Santana and me went _so_ fast, like super fast and we hit a bump and went _SO_ high up in the air it was crazy!" He rambled, a trait Santana knew he shared with his sister. Brittany smiled as Santana and Sam's siblings walked up behind the boy. "My stomach felt like it was up here!" He signaled to his throat. Brittany scooped him up onto her lap and giggled.

"Thanks, Santana," she smiled up at the girl. Her cheeks looked extra rosy, so did the tip of her nose. They matched her lips which Brittany was dying to kiss.

"Yeah, thank you," Sam said earnestly. From his smile Santana could tell he took the news pretty well.

"Anytime."

"Here, sit, let me grab you guys some hot cocoa," he smiled as he stood up to give Santana his chair. Alex and Kate took the seats next to the girls and started talking about how fast they had gone.

"How'd it go?" Santana asked softly. Brittany began nodding.

"Good," she breathed. "Thank you, San. I needed that." Santana just smiled. "I know this wasn't exactly how you imagined spending your day," she said embarrassed.

"I'm with you, aren't I?"

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"Back already?" Mr. Pierce laughed as his daughter, son, and Santana stepped through the door.

"We've been gone all day!" Brittany told him.

"I'm only kidding," he smiled. "Did you all have fun?"

"Daddy it was so much fun! I was going so fast! We did a jump, too. I rode by myself once! Santana had to save me, though. And we saw Sam, too!"

"What?" His eyes shot open. Brittany nodded.

"Lincoln almost, um, flew out of the tube," she mumbled. She knew her Dad wouldn't be pleased to hear about his son practically dying. "But Santana!" she quickly stammered. "She used the rope to get closer to Lincoln and held his tube for him so he could drop the rope. He probably would have flown out if he had to hold onto the rope _and_ the tube." Her Dad's face was frozen for awhile while he took all the information in.

"Well," he sighed. "I guess I owe some sort of thanks to the hero," he smiled at Santana. "Thank you!"

"Oh, it was nothing," she tried to shake him off, but he insisted.

"No, no, please. Thank you so much for looking out for him. Sounds like you've got good instincts." Santana just smiled. Lincoln ran into the other room to find his Mom.

"And thank you girl's for taking him," he said softer. "I know that's not what you guys had planned for today, your Mother and I just needed some time to ourselves," he explained to Brittany.

"No problem," Brittany told him.

"You two deserve a break," he laughed. "Here," he pulled some money out of his pocket. "Go get some dinner. And, if it's alright with you and your Dad," he motioned to Santana, "Brittany you're free to hang there tonight and spend the night if you want. I'll just catch up with you in the morning. We've got some Christmas planning to do," he grinned. Brittany's face lit up and she quickly kissed her father's cheek.

"Thank you!" She smiled. "Come on," she pulled Santana's hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Pierce," she called out.

"No, thank you!"

After quickly throwing a bag together of God knows what, Brittany was finally ready and the two girl's went downstairs to grab a quick bite to eat. They were both starved after the long day.

"That was really cool of your Dad," Santana said as they walked through the lobby.

"Yeah," Brittany smiled. "He really likes you."

"You think?" Parents didn't normally like Santana that quickly. It usually took lots of time and understanding.

"Are you kidding? He would have _never_ let me sleep over Sam's. Plus he's told me."

"Oh," Santana bit her lip to keep from smiling embarrassingly big. "As for the Sam thing, _I_ can't get you pregnant," Santana joked.

"San!" Brittany nudged her playfully. They stopped in the back of the line for the quick service and Brittany turned to Santana, placing her hands on the girl's waist. Santana wrapped her arms around Brittany's neck and took a step closer.

"So, are we going to get to pick up where we left off? You know, before Lincoln so _charmingly_ interrupted us," Santana husked. Brittany's stomach flipped thinking about how low Santana's lips had been on her body.

"We will," Brittany tried to mock her seductive tone but she could feel herself failing. Santana didn't notice, though. "Eventually." Santana's eyebrow quirked up and Brittany smirked. "I have something else in mind first," she smiled. Normally, Santana would be anything but thrilled to have sexy time postponed for even a few minutes, but everything was different with Brittany. Santana's excitement didn't falter at all, in fact, she was pretty sure it only increased. Brittany had something specific she wanted to do _with_ Santana. The fact that Brittany was making plans that included Santana made her heart swell.

"I can't wait," Santana grinned.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"_This_ is what you had in mind?" She stared shocked as Brittany pulled out pounds of Christmas lights, tinsel, and red and green decorations from her bag. "Did you even bring clothes?"

"No," she shrugged. "Will I be needing them?" She smirked up at the brunette, immediately silencing her. "I told you I was going to show you why Christmas is so great, so that's what we're doing."

"With tacky lights?"

"Santana," Brittany looked up with a pout.

"Sorry," Santana sighed as guilt flushed through her. "I'm sorry," she said again as she kneeled in front of Brittany. "Thank you for doing this," she smiled and leaned her head closer to Brittany's. She let her nose brush against Brittany's and nudged her gently upward so their lips finally met. Santana felt Brittany hum against her lips softly. She slowly pulled away with a sly smirk.

"Don't try to distract me," Brittany tried to say sternly but her throat was bubbling with a giggle. "We've got things to do." Brittany hopped to her feet and handed Santana one end of the long, green cord. Attached to the cord were tiny lightbulbs spread out evenly throughout. Brittany leaned down and pulled out a clear tape dispenser.

"Oh! Hold on," Brittany dropped everything and headed over to the TV. She quickly turned it on and flipped to a channel Santana wasn't aware existed. Music Choice- Holiday edition.

"My favorite!" Brittany sang. According to the TV, Britney Spears "My Only Wish (This Year)" was playing. Santana had never heard it but she had to admit it was a little catchy. Plus, she didn't mind watching Brittany's hips dance along.

"_Santa can you hear me? I want my baby baby baby," _Brittany sang in the cutest voice as she danced over to the other end of the room. "Come over here," she nodded. Santana walked over to the far corner of the room and Brittany jumped up onto the random chair in the corner using Santana's shoulder to balance herself. "Can you hand me pieces of tape when I need them?"

"Mhm," Santana smiled. Brittany honestly looked so happy. The music, the lights- she was in her element.

"_I want someone to love me, someone to hold!"_ Brittany was mocking Britney's voice perfectly it was almost crazy. "_Maybe maybe maybe,_" she echoed softer. "Tape please," she asked, missing the next line. Santana ripped a piece off and handed it to the girl who proceeded to tape the light up in the top corner of the room. Her height was really coming in handy. Santana couldn't even see the tape. Brittany had managed to hide it somehow so it looked as though the lights were floating.

"_Santa can you hear me? I have been so good this year. And all I want is one thing: Tell me my one true love is here! She's all I want just for me," _Brittany stuck her tongue out in concentration as Santana handed her another piece of tape. Santana wasn't sure if the girl realized she had changed the pronoun in the song from "he" to "she", making Santana's body shudder. She didn't have long to think about it though, because Brittany started singing louder. "_Underneath my Christmas tree. I'll be waiting here. Santa that's my only wish this year!" _The blonde belted. "Tape," she said again. She taped the next piece up and stopped singing. "How can you not like this stuff? It's just so happy?"

"That's the point," Santana muttered. _Oh _Brittany mouthed, remembering the girl's story. It made sense. If Brittany's parents had told her they were splitting up on Christmas Eve, she was pretty sure she wouldn't be this happy this time of year either. Brittany dropped down from the chair and her landing startled Santana who shuffled backwards a step or two. Brittany stepped closer.

"Santana," she whispered. She wasn't meaning to whisper, but she wasn't sure if what she was about to say was okay or not so her words were getting caught in her throat. "I think you should let yourself be happy," she managed. "You deserve it," she added. The words ran through Santana's warm blood with a chill. She'd heard that so many times from countless people, but until now, it had never really meant anything. It sounded like bull and who was anyone to tell her that. But when Brittany said it, she believed it. And she wanted to do it, too. If not for her then for the blonde who deserved a happy girlfriend. Santana took a step closer and let her hands pull Brittany closer to her by the waist.

"I think I am," Santana smiled shyly as she pressed her lips to Brittany's. Brittany momentarily lost her breath as she kissed the girl back. It amazed her how she could say anything to Santana and not have to worry about Santana taking it the wrong way. She'd never felt so understood in her life.

"And I think my wish is coming true," Brittany confessed before she could process the thought. Santana's eyes narrowed for a minute before she realized what Brittany was talking about. The lyrics Brittany had just sung quickly played through her mind. A_ll I want is one thing: Tell me my one true __love is here! Santa that's my only wish this year._

Santana's lips crashed into Brittany's with more force than before. Her heart was banging hard, fighting to get out of her chest. Brittany's hands shot up to Santana's face and she slowed the girl's lips down. She knew what she had just confessed was big, too big to take back, and it was making her entire body shake. Santana's kiss wasn't helping her steady herself. She pulled away in search for air and pressed her forehead against Santana's. She found it hard to open her eyes back up.

"You're perfect," Santana breathed after a long moment. Brittany's eyes blinked open and she stood there taking in all of Santana's features up close. She was the definition of pure beauty.

"You're so good at distracting me," Brittany said shakily. Santana just smiled. Brittany's eyes were hypnotizing her. They stood there for a moment just holding each other, neither saying anything.

"Hey," Santana smiled. "I actually know this song."

_And so this is Christmas. And what have you done? Another year over, a new one just begun._

"So you're not _completely_ the grinch?" Brittany joked.

"I only know the depressing songs. Ever heard Christmas Shoes? That's my absolute _favorite!_"

"Are you a masochist?" Brittany asked seriously. "I can't get through ten seconds without crying."

"You're such a softy," Santana teased. Brittany playfully shoved Santana backwards a few steps.

"Yeah, a softy whose not giving into you," she smirked. "Let's go, we've got to finish these lights."

"Fineeee," Santana feigned annoyed. Truth was, she was having an amazing time just watching Brittany. She loved seeing her this happy. She was radiating even more than usual.

For the next twenty minutes, Santana followed Brittany and her chair around the edge of the room handing her tiny pieces of tape while the girl sang along to her favorite Christmas songs.

"You have a really pretty voice, you know," Santana complimented as Brittany taped up the last corner.

"Thanks," Brittany blushed as a yawn cut her off.

"Tired?" Santana asked.

"Mm mm," she shook her head in denial. Santana smiled as she reached her hand up to help the girl down from the chair. "We're almost done," Brittany smiled.

"You mean there's more?" Santana's eyes widened. Brittany lifted up the red tinsel and tossed it to Santana. She picked up the green one herself and walked over the the corner. "We just have to tape this below the lights. It's easier though, since we only have to do the corners, not every couple inches."

"Alright," Santana shrugged. They taped up each corner and before they knew it all four walls had lights strung on the top just above red and green tinsel.

"Just one last thing," Brittany said before yawning again. She looked like a cute puppy when she yawned. She went into her bag and pulled out the tiniest, fake mini tree Santana had ever seen. It was only a little bigger than Brittany's hand. She placed it down next to the TV.

"Since I couldn't get you a real one," she shrugged, "I brought you mine." Santana melted.

"That's yours?" Santana asked.

"Mhm. I keep in next to my bed every year," she smiled.

"I- I can't, Brit. It's yours." As nice as it sounded to always have a piece of Brittany near her, she didn't feel right taking one of the girl's favorite things.

"And you're mine," Brittany smiled. She knew how cheesy was being, she just didn't care. "Now sit down," Brittany demanded as she pointed to the bed. "It's time to experience it."

Santana obliged as she sat down on the edge of the bed. Brittany turned off the TV and then walked towards the door to turn all the lights off. It took her a minute to find her way safely back to the bed in the darkness, but she finally made it and climbed on. She crawled past Santana towards the bedside table and leaned over the pick up the plug. She plugged it into the lamp's outlet and laid back down on the bed.

"Okay," Brittany started, her head already resting on the pillow. "You ready?" she asked, her thumb resting over the lights' switch.

"Mhm," Santana smiled looking straight ahead.

"Three, two," Brittany took a breath and hit the switch. "One."

The white lights flickered on and Santana sucked in all the air in front of her as her eyes widened.

"Oh my-" she stopped, unable to deny the beauty of it. Her eyes looked side to side, all the walls perfectly illuminated. Sure, maybe some houses looked super tacky, but this was the furthest thing from that. It was classy, elegant, and flat out beautiful.

"Brit, this is amazing," she praised, still not over it all. She laid back slowly so she could see all four walls at once. The bed, right in the middle, was receiving the perfect amount of lighting. None of it felt real.

"Wow," she mumbled after a few more minutes. "You were right," Santana smiled as she sat up. She began to turn to face the blonde. "Maybe Christmas isn't all that bad," she admitted. When she looked down to see Brittany's reaction, she saw the girl turned slightly towards the wall. She crawled up and leaned over her, only to see the girl already passed out. Santana smiled. The new lighting only made her look that much more serene.

Santana pulled the covers down slowly and slid them over Brittany's body. She cuddled herself up to her carefully, doing her best not to wake her. She planted the softest kiss on her cheek and nuzzled into her back.

"Night gorgeous," she whispered as she wondered how she got so lucky.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

**Hey guys! I know it's not as fun to read Christmas stuff after Christmas haha so I'm sorry the story ended up being a little longer than intended. Anyway if you want to know the songs mentioned they were:**

**Britney Spears- My Only Wish (This Year)**

**Maroon 5- Happy Christmas (War is Over)**

**Newsong- The Christmas Shoes is the sad song mentioned briefly if you wanted to know what it was.**

**I've gotten a few requests for a playlist I'm not sure how to make one but I've written down a few songs so far so I'll put that out maybe when I'm finished the story.**

**Anyway, thanks again for all the love! Let me know what you think! Xx **


	20. Chapter 20

Santana's lips subconsciously curled upward slightly at the tingling sensation on her skin.

"Mm," she hummed as she struggled to break out of her unconsciousness. She floated in and out of sleep for over a minute, her body trying to decipher between real and dream. Finally, her eyes squeezed tightly before opening slowly, the recent addition of Christmas lights illuminating the room ever so slightly. She fully woke up when the sensation she realized she wasn't imagining happened again. Brittany's lips took in her tanned skin on her neck. Brittany's arms were draped over her stomach and her leg was resting on top of Santana's two. Besides the movement from her lips, the girl was completely still. For a second, Santana wondered if the girl could be sleep...kissing?

"Brit?" Santana said with a rasp. Brittany gave a tiny groan to acknowledge her but continued to suck on Santana's neck, a little more vigorously now that she was sure the girl was awake. Santana let out a slight moan as Brittany reached her pulse point.

"Mm what time is it?" She asked when she realized how dark it was outside.

"I don't know," Brittany mumbled against Santana's skin. She kissed a few more times, her hands finally coming to life. Santana's heart was racing and Brittany could feel it all the way down in her stomach. "Sorry," Brittany breathed after a few more seconds of kissing. "I didn't mean to wake you." When she was done talking, her lips immediately fell back onto Santana's skin, her leg wrapping tighter around Santana's. Santana chuckled.

"Yes you did." Santana felt the blonde smirk against her skin. She kissed up the girl's jawline until she was just above Santana's lips.

"You're right," she husked. "I did." Santana's arms wrapped around Brittany's neck and pulled her lips onto hers. Brittany immediately threw herself up onto the smaller girl and sucked in Santana's lower lip. Santana's heart skipped a beat when she felt the girl smile against her. Santana pulled her even closer so every part of their bodies were touching and Brittany deepened the kiss with her tongue. Santana's arms desperately wandered up and down Brittany's sides. She slid her t-shirt up and without missing a beat Brittany quickly peeled her body off of Santana's to rip her shirt off, subsequently throwing the covers off of them. Since she had fallen asleep so suddenly, she hadn't gotten the chance to take her bra off like Santana had. Before Santana could process anything, Brittany was sitting up, straddling her waist, her arms reaching behind her back to unclip her bra. Brittany slid her bra off her arms as if she was simply taking off her winter jacket. From the look in her eyes it was clear she wasn't even remotely aware of how crazy she was about to make Santana.

Santana's heart stopped. Not just for a moment or two like it did when Brittany smiled at her, but completely. She was breathless and it wasn't just because Brittany was topless in front of her. The dark yellow light landing on the blonde, whose hair had fallen perfectly over her defined shoulders, was making her glow more than usual. Santana swore, in all her life, she'd never seen anything so beautiful.

Brittany was about to let herself crash back onto Santana when the girl's heavy gaze stopped her.

"What?" Brittany breathed, her eyes flickering down her own body, momentarily feeling self-conscious.

"No, nothing!" Santana stammered as she tried to keep Brittany's walls from building back up. "This lighting just- you look-" Santana stopped. "You're stunning." Brittany's breath hitched. She could feel the girl's honesty in her voice. She finally relaxed enough to smile and leaned down to let her lips meet Santana's. Right before they were about to connect, Santana's hands caught Brittany's cheeks, making Brittany's eyes shoot back open.

"No, really," Santana urged. "You're so beautiful. All of you," she said earnestly. "I've never met anyone like you." Before Brittany could answer, Santana closed the inch gap between them and let her lips take in all of Brittany's. When Brittany finally pulled away, and only to catch her breath, she brought her thumb up to Santana's cheek.

"I've never met anyone that makes me feel like you do," Brittany confessed back meekly. Neither girl would admit it, but they were both trembling from the other's touch. Santana leaned in to give her another soft kiss, one that was sure to make Brittany melt just as it would do to Santana. When she pulled away, she let her kisses trail down Brittany's jaw, neck, and chest, where she stopped to taste all of the girl. Her hands nervously slid up her stomach, stopping just short of her chest. Only a few seconds passed before Brittany's hands gently guided them upward, giving Santana the okay to touch. Both girls shuddered at the contact, Brittany's head falling backwards. In one swift motion, Santana flipped Brittany onto her back. Brittany let out a tiny _umf _but didn't complain once. Santana couldn't help herself from kissing all over the blonde's chest. She was gentle, but her hands were starting to get more aggressive. Brittany was practically whimpering beneath her. Neither girl was sure how long Santana explored all of Brittany's breasts, but it was long enough to make them both plenty wet between the legs. Santana's hands continued to massage Brittany's chest while her lips traveled down the girl's abs.

"S-san," Brittany moaned quietly. Santana's tongue glided along her lower abs before looking upward into Brittany's eyes. She had to wait a moment for the blonde to compose herself enough to look back at her.

"Can I?" She finally asked, the question holding more weight than she had expected. Brittany's next breath gave away just how nervous she was. Santana could hear her tremble. Santana quickly stopped and slid back up the girl's body.

"Hey," she whispered. "Look at me," she said when Brittany closed her eyes. Santana's hand lifted the girl's chin upward. "I just want to make you feel as amazing as you deserve to feel," she breathed. "If you're not ready, I can do it another way," she smiled softly. Brittany loved how comfortable Santana always made her feel. Without saying anything, Brittany's arms reached down to the bottom of Santana's shirt and pulled it over her head. Santana gasped as her arms flung up with the shirt.

"Go," Brittany husked. Santana's eyebrows shot up. Brittany quickly sat up slightly and kissed Santana hard. First on the lips, then down her neck, and just as Santana had done, Brittany gave the girl a few soft kisses on her chest. Brittany already felt her insides imploding so she crashed onto her back.

"Yes?" Santana confirmed with a choppy breath.

"Please," Brittany's voice cracked slightly. As Santana's head fell back onto Brittany's abs, Brittany's fingers tangled into the thick, dark hair.

Santana was sure her heart was going to rupture from banging against her ribs so hard. Between the two girls, there were enough butterflies in their stomachs to keep the species from ever going extinct.

Santana's hands slid down Brittany's sides until they stopped on her hips. Her fingers fiddled with the sides of Brittany's sweatpants as her lips stayed pressed to her abs. She managed to pull Brittany's pants off without ceasing her kissing. Santana's tongue began gliding along the blonde's waistline as her thumbs slid under the waistband of her underwear. Brittany's hands were already gripping her hair tightly and every few kisses she could feel the girl's back arch upwards. She wanted to continue teasing the girl when a moan came from the back of Brittany's throat. The noise suddenly filled Santana with even _more_ of an urge to taste Brittany, an urge she couldn't ignore any longer. Before she knew it she had ripped the girl's underwear off and her lips were dragging back up her thighs. As she continued to kiss right below Brittany's sex, she let her fingers slip through her folds and spread her wetness.

"Ohh," Brittany shuddered. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut so every touch surprised her. She felt Santana's kisses moving higher and higher and all of her muscles were contracting. Santana took a steading breath before slowly leaning in and ever so gently kissing Brittany's sex.

"Fuck!" Brittany practically yelped. At the same time, Santana shivered. The girl tasted so good that she couldn't keep herself from kissing more and more of her. Her mouth opened slightly as she sucked her in. With every kiss, Brittany was becoming more and more sensitive. Santana felt a tug on her hair as Brittany tried to stifle her moans and Santana ran her tongue up through the girl's folds.

"San," she whimpered. "Oh my-" she gasped as Santana slid down and entered the girl with her tongue. Almost instantly, Santana felt the girl tightening around her. The taste, feel, and connection was too much for Santana, too. Her insides were throbbing and the pressure had built almost as much as it had for Brittany. Every touch was relieving it, though, so Santana continued to slide her tongue in and out of the girl.

"Sh-shit," she said as she held her breath in. She was trying to her best not to scream, but she'd never felt such pure ecstasy in her life. Her body was writhing beneath Santana and her muscles were out of control. Her heart was going wild and her stomach was incredibly light. She needed more but she was sure more would kill her.

"Ugh," Santana moaned this time, her breath tickling Brittany even more. Santana's tongue suddenly went further inside Brittany and with more force. It only took two more thrusts before Brittany writhed entirely below her, but not without one last and entirely too loud "Ooh!"

Her body gave out completely as Santana's head collapsed in between Brittany's legs. Their breathing was heavy. Santana's hands landed on Brittany's bare thighs as they focused on coming back down to Earth. Santana would never admit it to anyone, except for maybe Brittany, that doing that for the girl had gotten her off better than any girl had ever done for her. Except for, again, Brittany.

"Santana," Brittany finally breathed out, still not entirely grounded. The brunette, whose chest was still heaving, used her arms to push her up. She hadn't realized how much like jelly her body felt until then, which didn't make sense, since Brittany hadn't technically _done_ anything to her. Still, she climbed up the bed to lay next to Brittany. Almost immediately, Brittany turned to face her, brushing her disheveled hair out of her eyes.

"That was-" she started, her words chilling both of their bodies. When she stopped talking though, Brittany noticed every breath chilled her. Maybe it was just Santana that was chilling her, she thought. "That was awesome," she smiled like a goofy kid. Santana's face lit up like Brittany's. "I-I've never, nobody's ever made me feel that way," she confessed meekly. Santana just smiled as she wrapped her arms around Brittany's waist, pulling the blonde closer to her bare body. Her fingers started absentmindedly tracing the shape of the blonde's chest as she stared into the girl's eyes.

"You make me feel that way," she said confidently. "All the time."

Swoon.

Brittany was floating in all that Santana was. She couldn't even begin to comprehend the feeling she was experiencing.

Euphoria.

Brittany leaned in and kissed Santana, the brunette immediately pulling her closer. When she pulled away, Brittany realized how weak her body was. Whatever Santana had just done to her had completely worn her out. She was pretty sure there was no way she'd be able to walk right now if her life depended on it. She slid down the girl's body, cuddling into the girl. Santana leaned down to help pull the covers back up as Brittany settled in on top of her bare chest.

_Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. _

She could feel the girl's heart racing against her temple. It was prominent enough to distract her from the perfect twins laying beneath her head that should have been all she was thinking about.

Santana's fingers combed through Brittany's hair as she rested her eyes. There was nothing more perfect than this. She was sure of it.

"You know what I love about you?" Brittany spoke softly. The word made Santana's head start spinning. She couldn't imagine what it would do to her if Brittany used it in reference to her.

"Hm?" Santana breathed, her eyes staying closed. Brittany took her time answering, simply enjoying the sound of the deep thudding against her ear. Finally, she spoke.

"I love when I can hear your heart beating like this," she confessed. The mention of her rapid heart rate made all the blood it was producing rush into Santana's cheek. She was hoping the girl hadn't noticed. It was embarrassing as hell that the girl's touch could make her body freak out so much. She swore it had never happened before. "Otherwise, I'd never be able to tell if you were nervous. You always seem so cool and stuff." Brittany was always so straight forward with her. Her confession that practically called the brunette out only made her heart speed up again. She tried to calm it down, but it was useless, Brittany had already noticed. She pressed her head harder against her chest for a moment before lifting it up and looking up at Santana.

"What did I say?" She joked lightly. Santana sat up for a moment and Brittany sat up beside her.

"You wanna see something?" Santana asked. Brittany nodded. "Okay, hold on," she shuffled an inch away so their bodies weren't touching. "Give me a second." Brittany watched as Santana sat there, eyes closed, taking deep breaths, for almost thirty seconds. Once her heart rate was back to normal, she opened her eyes and turned to Brittany. "Give me your hand," she breathed as she stuck her hand out. Brittany's hand landed like a feather in Santana's. She took one more deep breath before she scooted closer to Brittany. She brought the blonde's hand to the top of her chest, right above where her breasts started. She spread Brittany's fingers out, right over her heart, and looked into the girl's eyes. She kept her hand on top of Brittany's as she pressed it harder against her. As soon as Brittany's hand touched her her heart sped up slightly. It was hardly noticeable to Brittany, though, since she hadn't felt the original pace.

"What am I-"

"Watch this," Santana started. She reached down with her free hand and grabbed Brittany's free one and slowly placed it on her lower hip. After a few seconds, Brittany's lips parted slightly as she felt Santana's heart beat the tiniest bit harder. Santana smiled as she watched Brittany slowly realize her effect on the girl. Keeping her eyes on Brittany's, whose eyes were following her hand, Santana moved the girl's hand higher up her bare chest until Brittany's hand was cupping her boob. Again, Brittany felt her beat up. Santana moved her hand once more onto her leg, right in between her two thighs. The steady rhythm became a little erratic. Brittany let out a slight breathy laugh.

"Woah, cool," she smiled in disbelief. Santana's genuine smile grew.

"Wanna see something _really_ cool?" She asked, her eyebrows lifting in excitement. Brittany nodded.

"Kiss me," she whispered. Brittany's heart was the one to speed up this time. Her eyes widened a little, wondering what was going to happen. She kept her hand over Santana's heart as she moved her body closer. Even that, she swore, made Santana's heart beat more rapidly. Brittany moved in, slower then ever, anxious as to what she was about to discover. Their noses brushed as Brittany held her lips just an inch from Santana's for a moment. She took in some air before she parted her lips, leaving just enough room for Santana's lower lip. She leaned forward and their lips met, Brittany closing hers around Santana's.

_Off to the races_.

Santana's heart punched against Brittany's hand. It was beating quicker than Brittany ever though possible. Hard, palpitating beats were thumping impossibly fast. Brittany could practically feel her pulse inside of her hand.

Brittany was too stunned to kiss back, so they just sat there for a minute, lips pressed against each other, neither one too keen on moving. Finally, Santana leaned backwards, her breath shaky. She couldn't remember a time when she'd felt so vulnerable in her entire life.

"Woah," Brittany breathed, Santana's heart still beating wildly.

"Yeah," Santana blushed sheepishly.

"I had no clue," Brittany mumbled. Santana didn't really answer, she just nodded, not sure if she was feeling embarrassed or ashamed or some other depressing emotion. But then Brittany removed her hand from her chest to tilt her chin up. Once Santana was looking at her, she grabbed her hand and brought it to her bare chest to let the girl feel her also rampaging heart. Brittany smiled wide as if she was telling the girl it was nothing to be embarrassed about, since they were both clearly on the same page.

"Smile," Brittany whispered.

"Huh?" Santana asked.

"Smile at me," Brittany pleaded. Santana just stared for a moment, unsure of what the girl meant. Brittany did a goofy, puppy dog face pout as she simultaneously tickled Santana in the lower rib, eliciting a genuine giggle and smile from the girl. Once her eyes latched onto Brittany's with that award-winning grin, she felt Brittany's heart speed up in the same way that hers had.

"Oh," Santana muttered under her breath.

"We're in the same boat," Brittany grinned. Santana's eyes lit up as she dropped her hand and pulled Brittany's face against hers. They kissed more freely than ever before, neither worrying about their nerves or what the other was thinking or if they were enjoying it as much as the other one. They just kissed. And giggled. They kissed and giggled, rolling around on the not-so-big-anymore bed.

They fell back onto the bed and lazily kissed each other for a few minutes, both of their eyelids getting heavy.

"Thanks for waking me up," Santana giggled as she gave her another kiss.

"Anytime," Brittany smirked, her arms tightening around Santana's waist. They kept their foreheads pressed together.

"I-" Santana started to say but a huge lump stopped her from saying anything else. She fell quiet again but Brittany's inquisitive eyes made her retry.

"I- I really," the same lump cut her off again. "really like you," she spat out, relieved that she could at least say something. "A lot," she said seriously. Brittany bit down on her lip as her cheekbones got higher.

"I like you a lot, too," she smiled. "A lot, a lot."

As they stared into each other's eyes, both girls felt like this was one of those moments. One of those moments you read about in novels or see in a movie. The kind where something iss said, or something happens, but the reader or viewer knows it's something bigger. They can tell that both characters know more or mean more than they're letting on. In this case, though, both Brittany _and_ Santana doing the reading. They could both feel it.

"Goodnight San," Brittany smiled.

"Mm, night babe," Santana mumbled, already halfway asleep.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"But I don't wanna go!" Brittany pouted as Santana walked her to the door.

"I don't want you to go either," Santana told her. "But your Dad wanted you down there two minutes ago! I'm not trying to get on his bad side."

"Oh please," Brittany grabbed both of Santana's hands and stepped in front of her. "My Dad's always late. Plus, he could never hate you. You're my girlfriend," she sang the word. "And you practically saved Lincoln's life," she reminded her.

"Yeah well, I don't wanna test it out," Santana tried to drop Brittany's hand to walk her forward, but Brittany snatched it up and pushed her backwards until she backed into the bathroom wall. Brittany pressed her center against against Santana's and smirked.

"Brit," Santana tried to groan in annoyance but she couldn't keep her smile down. Brittany leaned in and kissed Santana's jaw lightly. She pulled away with a seductive smirk before kissing down a little lower.

"Can't I stay?" she whined against Santana's skin.

"Brit," Santana sighed. Why was she making this so hard? "Look, I've got to finish your Christmas present so you can't be here," Santana finally confessed. Brittany peeled away and looked down at Santana, her eyes glowing.

"Oh!" She practically yelped. "Well why didn't you say so?" Brittany wiggled her eyebrows. She leaned in and gave Santana a quick peck. "I've gotta start on yours, too," she sang.

"Well then what are we waiting for?" Santana said sarcastically.

"Who would have thought I'd get Santana Lopez into the Christmas spirit," Brittany pretended to pinch Santana's cheeks as she scrunched up her nose.

"You're such a goof," Santana giggled, pushing her hand away. "Now get outta here, I gots to get my work on."

"Okay, okay," Brittany giggled. She wrapped her arms around Santana's neck and pulled her in for a hug. "I'll miss you," she smiled.

"I already miss you," Santana flirted with a giggle. Then with one last kiss, they parted.

Santana grabbed the tiny box from underneath her bed and continued on Brittany's present. Only about ten minutes had passed when the knock came. Santana hopped up and opened the door.

"San, I need your help," her father stormed past her shaking his head.

"Yeah, sure, come in," Santana mumbled sarcastically as her Dad invited himself in.

"What am I supposed to get Christine for Christmas?"

"I don't know, jewelry?" Santana mumbled as she climbed back onto her bed.

"I wanted to, but it's so hard to shop here. I mean, it's probably easier for me than you, since the only good things here are _way_ to expensive for you-"

"Yeah, thanks," Santana rolled her eyes.

"But I just don't know what I'm supposed to get. I don't know what says 'I really like you, I want to keep seeing you even though we're nearly four hundred miles apart and I'm also not delusional, I know it's hasn't even been a month yet.' Can you _please_ help me pick something out?" Santana sighed.

"Of course," she smiled. "Can we go a little later, though?"

"Yeah, sure," he smiled. "Thank you," he seemed to relax a bit. "We can go in an hour or two if that works. What are you doing?"

"Making Brittany's gift," she nodded down at her box.

"Oo," he sang, just like Brittany had when she found out Santana was going to be making her present. "Since when do you get people Christmas gifts, let alone _make _them," he laughed. Santana sent him a glare. "Besides for me and your mother, of course." Santana had never _not_ gotten her parents gifts, no matter how much she resented the time of year. They deserved _some _sort of reward for putting up with her bullshit all year round, so every chance she got to reward them she did.

"Since I got a girlfriend," Santana mumbled as she continued to work on the gift, her eyes not looking up at her father.

"I think Brittany has been really good for you," he said softly. Santana could tell he wasn't sure how much of what he was saying was okay to say.

"Yeah," she agreed politely.

"Have you, um, decided what's going to happen-"

"No," Santana quickly snapped, not wanting to think about the _after_ of anything. "She's my girlfriend, though," She said harshly. "Blue Creek Lodge or not." Antony shook his head. He of all people could understand that.

"You really care about her, huh?" He smiled. It wasn't really a question, more of a statement, so Santana didn't answer.

"Well, I'll come back in a little while and we'll head out to go shopping, sound good?" He asked. Santana gave him a tiny smile and nodded.

Santana could feel him staring at her the way Dads sometimes stare at their daughters. He walked over and gave her a kiss on the top of the head.

"My little girl is in love," she heard him whisper to himself on the way out.

For the first time ever, Santana didn't deny it.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

**Hey guys! I can't tell you how thankful I am for all the reviews, comments, and messages you've sent. They mean the world!**

**Also, thanks to nivida, ohvalerievalerie, and tastethefailureonurlips on tumblr for all making ****incredible posters for the fic! They're all so awesome and it's crazy to me that people even read this thing. **

**Love you all! xx**


	21. Chapter 21

After Santana helped her father pick out the perfect necklace- a simple silver chain holding a round, silver stud with a single off-centered diamond in the upper righthand corner- the two headed back for a surprise Antony had set up. Normally Santana wasn't fond of surprises, but she wasn't to gloomy about the free massage and facial. Apparently, it was a Christmas gift from her lovely mother who wished she could be with her daughter. Wait until _she_ heard Santana went away for a month and came back with a girlfriend.

By the Santana's relaxation was over, she was too late to get quality Brittany time in. The Pierce family had decided to have a family dinner together before Christmas festivities kicked into high gear. Santana had tried to find Quinn, but she'd caught sight of Sam and the blonde at dinner and decided to leave them be before they saw her. She felt partially responsible for stealing Sam's alone time with his last blonde, so she wasn't about to do it again. Especially after Sam had been so great about her and Brittany. So instead, the brunette spent the night finishing up Brittany's gift and writing a little, all the while blasting the Music Choice's Holiday channel, though she'd never admit that. She ordered room service since Antony took Christine out for a nice date and Santana's lonely night passed quickly. Before she knew it, she woke up and it was Christmas Eve.

"Santana!" the banging startled her out of her not-so-deep sleep. The girl jolted awake and slowly adjusted to the light streaming in through her window. She made her way to the door, Brittany's voice not once faltering.

"Merry Christmas Eve!" A cheery Brittany greeted. She was wearing black leggings, a red sweater and an adorable Santa hat.

"Merry Christmas Eve," Santana giggled back as she accepted the girl's tight hug. As soon as she pulled away, Brittany tugged an identical Santa hat over Santana's wavy hair.

"Hey," Santana tried to deflect it. It wasn't as adorable on her. Brittany pouted, though, and Santana gave in. Brittany straightened it out and smiled.

"Santana Clause," she joked. Santana rolled her eyes but couldn't fight her smile. Brittany was fucking adorable.

"How 'bout some morning cuddles?" Santana smiled.

"No time," Brittany smiled. "It's Christmas Eve! We've got things to do! Get changed!" Santana feigned an annoyed groan as she headed inside.

"Do I have time to shower?"

"Quickly," Brittany nodded.

"Wanna join me?" Santana flirted. Brittany's face reddened immediately but she resisted the urge.

"Santana," she said slowly.

"Okay, okay, next time," Santana smiled and quickly headed into the shower.

As Santana disappeared, Brittany turned on the TV, only to find Music Choice Holiday as the last station Santana had been watching.

"San!" Brittany sang out as the classic "Do They Know It's Christmas?" played through the room.

"Yeah?" Santana shouted back loud enough for Brittany to hear. Luckily, the water pressure wasn't strong enough to drown out her voice.

"Have you been listening to Christmas music on your own?" Brittany smiled. The way she said it was more of a statement than a question. She already knew the answer and Santana could tell. Even amongst all the hot water hitting her back Santana's cheeks felt the hottest. She pretended she couldn't hear the girl, but it didn't really matter, since she knew she'd already been caught.

A few minutes later Santana sauntered into the room wrapped in nothing but a tiny white towel. Brittany practically choked. Santana smirk back at her. Brittany was laying flat on her back on Santana's bed and before she could fully sit up, Santana was lowering her body onto the girl. She kept her towel around her as Brittany started stammering.

"We-we've gotta m-meet everyone d-downstairs." She tried her best to keep her eyes focused on Santana's, but even that was turning her on too much. She couldn't get carried away, she told her parents she'd only be a few minutes.

"I'm sure we have a minute to spare," Santana said smoothly as she let her lips fall gently against Brittany's neck.

"S-san," Brittany meant to scold the girl, but it came out more like a moan. Santana dropped her towel and lifted off of Brittany.

"You're right," she shrugged as she slowly peeled her body off from Brittany's, the blonde's eyes falling right down her body. "I'd better get changed." Brittany's jaw dropped. Not just a little, either. It dropped in full cartoon-character form. She tried to reach out for Santana to pull her back down onto her, to kiss her, to touch her, but her muscles were locked. She couldn't breath or move. Santana waited to smirk until she was facing away from Brittany. She was sure the girl's eyes had already made it down to her ass. She went into her drawers and slipped on black underwear and a black bra. She hopped into black leggings and an oversized light cream colored sweater.

"D-don't forget your hat," Brittany said, her voice a little hoarse.

"Do I have to?" Santana complained. She knew, though, she had to. Brittany just gave her a look and Santana put the hat on over her damp hair. Brittany's body was finally cooperating enough to let her stand up, so the girl made her way over to Santana. She wrapped her arms around Santana's neck and leaned in close.

"You don't know how hard it is to not jump you right now," she whispered.

"Nothing's stopping you," Santana husked back.

"Except for our families waiting in the lobby," Brittany reminded the girl.

"Ugh, fine," Santana groaned.

"I promise," Brittany said softly. "We'll get time. I still gotta repay you for, you know," Brittany's tongue ran across her lips as her eyebrows inched up suggestively. Santana's stomach twisted at the thought. "Let's go," Brittany smiled into Santana's lips. She kissed her softly. Santana was still a little stunned by the girl's hint at going down on her and found it hard to move her lips too much.

"Get ready for a traditional Pierce family Christmas," Brittany grinned. She grabbed Santana's hand tightly and pulled her forward, preparing to introduce the girl to all the magic Christmas had to offer.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"About time!" Mr. Pierce joked as he stood up from the lobby's sofa. Lincoln was just returning with his mother, a tray of hot chocolates in hand, so Brittany knew she hadn't actually taken too long. Still, she felt the need to add, "Sorry, Santana needed a quick shower."

"Of course, of course, no problem," Robert quickly stammered. He didn't want Santana to think she had held them up.

"Here 'ntana," Lincoln mumbled as he handed her the first hot chocolate. They were in black to-go cups.

"Thanks buddy," she smiled. Her smile seemed to have a similar affect on the boy as it did Brittany and his cheeks turned rosy immediately. He turned away quickly and handed Brittany her cocoa and Mrs. Pierce greeted Santana with a surprisingly warm hug.

"I'm so glad you could join us!" She said.

"Oh," Santana barely breathed, clearly taken aback by the women's soft gesture. "Thank you so much for having me. And my Dad," she smiled.

"Our pleasure!" She smiled back.

"Speaking of," Mr. Pierce cut in. "Antony and Christine are waiting on us now."

Mr. and Mrs. Pierce took off down the hallway and Lincoln followed closely behind. Before Santana could look up at Brittany, the girl's hand was dragging across Santana's fingers. She could feel how hesitant Brittany was even before looking into her eyes. When Brittany finally looked up, Santana smiled and let her fingers slip in between Brittany's. She surprised herself everyday.

They walked hand-in-hand behind Brittany's family, tingles running up and down their arms.

"Uh, where are we going?" Santana's eyebrows creased together when she watched the Pierce's turn into what she was sure was the Lobby's restaurant's kitchen.

"The kitchen," Brittany said back simply, like it wasn't even the tiniest bit strange.

"We're just gonna walk into the restaurant's kitchen?"

"Mhm," Brittany said cheerfully, clearly not picking up on Santana's bewilderment. Santana stayed quiet and followed Brittany's hand as they entered the kitchen. Everything with Brittany was an adventure, why should today be any different? The entire place was made of steel as far as Santana could see. They turned the corner and she was shocked to see only her father and Christine standing there. Where were all the workers?

Antony had his arms around Christine's waist and they were facing the opposite way, the woman's hands in a big silver bowl.

"Gag," Santana said under her breath.

"Hey," Brittany nudged her with a giggle. "They're cute."

"No," Santana shook her head. "_We're _cute. _They're_ old." Brittany just laughed and pulled Santana into the other end of the kitchen. Her parents had set up a few different stations. This way, Brittany and Santana, Antony and Christine, and Lincoln and them could all have their own space.

"What kind do you want to make?" Brittany smiled as she handed Santana a white apron. Santana stared down at the thing.

"What kind of what?"

"Cookies, silly! What else would we be making on Christmas?"

"I don't know, food?" Santana shrugged.

"Wow," Brittany giggled. "You really are a Christmas noob!" Santana rolled her eyes and Brittany tied her apron around her neck and waist. Brittany took a quick look around the room.

"Well, it looks like your Dad's already making chocolate chip. Hey Mom," Brittany called. "What kind are you making?"

"Sugar!" Lincoln screamed before his Mother could properly answer.

"I guess sugar," Mrs. Pierce giggled.

"Okay," Brittany laughed. "So then what do you wanna make?" She asked Santana.

"What else is there?" She asked.

"Are you serious?" Brittany's eyes widened slightly. Then she chuckled a little. "Santana there are thousands of kinds of cookies out there. What, have you never had anything besides chocolate chip?"

"Of course I have," she shrugged. "I just don't make them." Brittany smiled and ignored her.

"So what kind do you wanna make?"

"I don't know, what's your favorite?" Santana asked.

"Well what's yours?"

"I like all cookies," Santana admitted. "What's the most fun to make?"

"Oh, snickerdoodles can be fun!"

"Snicker-what?"

"Snickerdoodle," Brittany laughed. She was sure then she'd never met anyone as cute as Santana. "You know, it's the cinnamon-sugar kind."

"Oh," Santana said in recognition. "I love those!"

"Good!" Brittany grinned, her tongue momentarily popping through her teeth and grabbing all of Santana's attention. Brittany noticed Santana's eyes locked on her mouth and quickly tucked her lips in with a slight giggle. "We can use the sugar cookie dough," She quickly added, changing the subject. "Hold on." She headed over to her Mom. Santana watched the blonde float away and have a quick conversation before returning with their ingredients bowl.

"Look what I got," she smiled, her eyebrows flicking up and down.

"Wasn't that theirs?" Santana asked.

"Yeah, they said they'd just make another one. I just asked what I was supposed to put in our bowl, and I knew they'd wanna make sure I didn't mess it up. Snickerdoodles are my Mom's favorite," Brittany smiled. _Genius_, Santana thought. No one would ever think that Brittany was capable of manipulating anyone, and maybe this was in the most innocent way possible, but still, she'd gone over there with the intention of getting their bowl and she'd done just that.

"Here," Brittany said, handing Santana the hand blender.

"What's this?" Santana asked instinctually. She knew it was a blender.

"It's not mixed yet," she nodded down to the bowl. Santana nodded and stuck the whisk into the batter. She pressed down on the button and yelped. A split second later and she heard Brittany squeal behind her. Santana's thumb immediately released off of the button, but it was too late- the batter had already splattered everywhere. She turned to face Brittany who's eyes we squeezed shut tightly. On top of her eyelids was a few drops of the batter. Santana giggled as she leaned in and softly wiped it away with her thumb.

"Sorry," she whispered. Brittany's body reacted to Santana's breath on her skin. She hadn't realized how close the girl had gotten to her.

"It's okay," Brittany breathed, her eyes flitting open. She smiled when she saw the yellow gook on Santana's cheek topped by flour. She giggled when Santana stared at her more seriously. "You've still got stuff on your..." She pointed to the girl's cheek. Santana brought her hand to her face and wiped her skin but she didn't completely clear it.

"Here," Brittany whispered quickly, momentarily not caring about their parents in the room. It was just a kiss on the cheek, she shrugged as she leaned into the girls skin. Her lips parted slightly as she kissed around the spot. She sucked it up and pulled away before it turned into exactly what she wanted it to turn into.

"Thanks," Santana smiled, her cheeks heating up.

"Let's try this again," Brittany giggled as she picked up the blender again.

"You have the cutest fucking giggle," Santana blurted out. Her heart stopped for a quick second when she realized what she'd said. She'd said it before she was even aware she was thinking it.

"Thanks," Brittany blushed as she bit down on her bottom lip. "Here," she said, handing the blender back to Santana. She kept her hands on top of Santana's and helped her keep her grip on the machine. "You've got to make sure it's all the way in the mix before you use it," she explained. Santana nodded. She normally would have felt a little dumb for not knowing that but Brittany's body pressed up against her side was making it hard for her to feel anything but turned on. Brittany's strong hands both piled on top of Santana's as she helped the girl start blending the batter.

"I love cookie dough," Brittany told the girl as they stirred the automatic whisk around in the bowl.

"It's my favorite," Santana agreed.

"So you've never made cookies but you've eaten cookie dough?" Brittany asked.

"I can _watch_ people make cookies," Santana told her.

Once the batter had turned to dough, Brittany stepped aside for a minute and came back with a smaller glass bowl. Santana watched as she poured a mix of cinnamon and sugar into the bowl and shook it around.

"Roll these into balls," she told Santana as she passed her the dough. Santana took some of it into her hands and began rolling tiny pieces.

"Like this?" She asked once she had a ball made. Brittany nodded. "So you guys do this every Christmas?"

"Mhm," Brittany nodded, simultaneously reaching into the dough to grab a piece. "Cookies for Santa," she shrugged.

"You actually leave cookies out for him?" Santana wasn't meaning to be rude or anything, she was just genuinely surprised. She didn't know people _actually_ did that over the age of four.

"You're supposed to," Brittany answered seriously.

"So what else do you do on Christmas," Santana asked, wanting to know more about the holiday she'd missed out on the past fourteen years.

"Roll that in here," Brittany said as she slid the cinnamon-sugar mix towards Santana. The girl nodded and rolled the tiny dough ball in the mix. She followed Brittany's lead and placed the finished dough on the baking sheet. "Well," Brittany continued. "We've got to get the tree and decorate it."

"You get a tree here? In the room? The resort lets you?"

"Sure," she smiled. "My parents love it here, but I don't think they'd agree to come over Christmas unless all of our traditions worked out. They wouldn't wanna ruin Christmas or any of that for Lincoln or me. The staffs extra accommodating around the holidays," she explained. "Like this kitchen," she pointed around herself. "I don't think they'd let us rent this out for baking cookies in June." Santana continued rolling the dough in her hands, all the while watching Brittany's hands do the same. "So we go out together and we cut down a tree and-"

"You guys chop it down?" Santana's eyes widened.

"Yeah," Brittany smiled. "Why drive out to buy one when we can walk right out there and just get one," she shrugged. "Then," she continued, "we decorate it. We don't get to bring all the ornaments every year, you know, because we can't fit them all on our flight. So before we leave, we go through all the boxes and pick out the ones we want for this year."

"How do you pick?" Santana asked. Brittany was glowing. She loved that Santana cared enough to ask even the simplest questions. No one had ever paid her this much genuine attention.

"My parents pick from memories, you know, who they're from, when they got them, memories that came with them."

"Well what about you?" Santana asked, caring more about the blonde then her parents. She'd never met someone so selfless.

"Honestly?" she smiled. "I usually just pick the prettiest ones."

"You're so cute," Santana giggled under her breath. She found whenever she was around Brittany, her thoughts just spewed out before she could filter them. It was refreshing.

Before Santana could look up, Brittany's lips were against hers. Santana's heart stopped dead from the surprise until she finally relaxed back into the girl. Brittany pulled away, her eyes locked into Santana's.

"You make me so happy," she breathed. Before Santana could answer, Brittany was sheepishly changing the subject. "And then," she quickly added, "we have a cookie fest and watch the Grinch!" The excitement in her voice was almost too much for Santana to handle. Santana was smiling as wide as she possibly could.

"The cartoon one?" Santana asked. She remembered watching it as a child once.

"No, the one with Jim Carrey."

"Never seen it," Santana shrugged as she continued rolling the dough. Brittany practically dropped all the bowl of cinnamon-sugar she was holding. She wasn't as much surprised as she was excited to share her favorite movie with her girlfriend.

"You're in for a treat," Brittany smiled as calmly as she could manage.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"This ones from my Godfather," Brittany held up the beautiful silver snowflake. "He gets me one every year. This is my absolute favorite, though," she shrugged. Brittany stood on her tippy-toes as she hung the ornament on their brand new, fresh green Douglas Fir.

Santana was still amazed at the setup. The Pierces had rented out the top floor penthouse for the next three days to properly celebrate Christmas. There were tons of rooms, bedrooms, a kitchen, a dinning room, a living room, a jacuzzi. The tree, which Mr. Pierce had so impressively chopped down and carried back (with some help from Antony), fit perfectly in the corner of the living room. There were a few sofas surrounding the fireplace which had a flat screen TV hanging above it. On top of it all, the entire place had been decked out with Christmas lights, per the Pierce's request. They really were like royalty in this place.

"What about this one," Santana asked as she picked up a round red ornament with _White Christmas_ written in a child's handwriting in white marker.

"Oh," Brittany smiled, taking the ornament into her hands. "My kindergarden teacher wanted us to write what we wanted for Christmas on the ornaments." Santana smiled.

"And you didn't want some new American Girl Doll or something?" She asked. Brittany just shrugged.

"I just remember all winter my mom kept saying all she wanted was a white Christmas. I didn't even know what that was," she let out a soft laugh. "But I knew she really wanted it, so that was my wish."

Without thinking about her Dad who was hanging up ornaments right next to her, Santana leaned in a gave Brittany a soft kiss. Brittany's stomach fluttered as Santana pulled away with a soft smile.

"You're the sweetest," was all Santana said. Even four year old Brittany amazed her.

"Here," Brittany smiled bashfully as handed Santana another ornament to hang up. Santana smiled as she held a tiny hanging frame with a picture of Lincoln and Brittany on Santa's lap.

"Cute," she laughed, hanging it on the nearest branch.

"Hey girls," Mr. Lopez interrupted their giggles.

"Hm?" Santana said without looking up.

"I have something for you," he said softly. Santana's eyes widened, suddenly paranoid about what he could have, and she shot him a warning look.

"No," he mouthed to her with a laugh. "It's okay." He took a few steps closer as Brittany looked up at him genuinely.

"Brittany," he started with a smile. "I can't thank you enough for keeping this one out of trouble these past few weeks," he laughed. Santana playfully shoved him. She was already blushing hard, she knew he was about to get sentimental. "But seriously, thanks for making my girl so happy. I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather have be with her. And Santana," he grinned at his daughter who was trying hard to shoot him daggers for embarrassing her, but she couldn't deny how sweet he was being. "Thanks for staying out of trouble," he laughed again. "You've been so mature this whole time and I've loved watching you enjoy yourself," he smiled. She knew what he meant by _mature_- not fucking with Brittany's heart like she had with every other girl in the past. And "enjoy yourself" was referring to how in love she'd been acting.

"Thanks," Santana managed.

"So, I wanted to get you two something to remember this sweet little time of, you know-" he stopped himself from saying _when you first fell in love_ and instead said "when you first met. And with all these Christmas celebrations going on I thought this was most fitting." He handed the girls a tiny box and Santana slowly peeled away the paper. Out slide a beautiful, flat, silver ornament hanging from a hook. In the center was inscribed

_Santana and Brittany's First Christmas_

_Blue Creek Lodge '12_

It was all traced by a light heart.

"Dad," Santana breathed. Before she could look up, though, Brittany had her arms around Antony's neck.

"Thank you so much," she whispered.

"Thank you," he breathed back. "For making her so happy," he added too softly for Santana to hear. As soon as their embrace ended, Santana fell into his arms.

"I love you," was all she cold say. She felt like crying. She'd never felt so happy as she had this entire trip and he was the one that had made it happen. Suddenly, her parents divorce seemed like the best thing that had ever happened to her.

"Love you too, mija," he grinned. He quickly stepped aside to give the girls a moment he knew was coming.

"He's amazing," Brittany said softly. Santana handed the ornament to Brittany.

"No," Brittany shook her head. "We put it on together." Santana smiled as she grabbed the other half of the ornament in her hand. They reached up slowly, together, and placed the ornament on the middle of the full tree. Before they let go, Brittany looked over to Santana.

"This one's my new favorite," she told her. "I'll bring it every year," she promised. Both girls knew that there was more to that promise than just the ornament. The meaning that came with it, Brittany wanted to last forever. Their lips were like magnets, slowly attracting to the others, the closer they got, the harder it would be to pull away. Once they were locked, it seemed nearly impossible to let go. Santana finally pulled away, her eyes fighting back tears.

"Are you okay?" Brittany whispered, her heart racing.

"I-" Santana started, knowing exactly what she wanted to say and knowing it was completely the wrong time to say it.

"Ow!" Lincoln's screech pulled them out of their moment, the tiny boy gripping his head after crashing into the corner table.

"I'm more than okay," Santana finally answered Brittany.

"Good," she smiled.

Just then, someone knocked on the door and Mr. Pierce announced that dinner had arrived. In came tons of trays, some with filet and mashed potatoes, some with mixed vegetables, and some with the cookies the family had made today.

"Grab a spot!" Mr. Pierce called out. Brittany ripped Santana's hand and sprinted across the room onto the two person couch just left of the TV. Lincoln grabbed the middle one and Mr. Pierce helped the staffer bring over dinner plates to the girl's and his son. Soon enough, the entire group was seated across from the TV with dinner plates on trays. Mr. Pierce switched on the TV and smiled at everyone.

"And now, thanks to The Great Pierce Family Tradition, I proudly present, How The Grinch Stole Christmas!" Everyone, especially Brittany and Lincoln, clapped for the opening.

The first twenty minutes passed before they'd finished their meals. Mr. Pierce quietly took away all of their plates and brought out cookies and a pre-made tray of milk.

"Thanks," Santana smiled as he handed her a tiny plate of cookies. He placed two glasses on the tray and moved on to the others.

"Come here," Brittany nodded. She reached out her hands and Santana handed her the tiny plate. Then Brittany spread her arm open and Santana took the hint to cuddle into the girl. She was immediately relieved by her warmth. Every time they touched it felt like she had never realized how cold she had been. Brittany reached to the side and grabbed a blanket as she haphazardly threw the blanket over themselves. Santana adjusted it as she let her head fall further into Brittany's chest.

Brittany watched as Santana giggled at Jim Carrey trying on different, hilarious outfits. She loved that the girl was enjoying herself.

"This is nice," Brittany said, but Santana could tell she was looking for an answer. Some sort of confirmation.

"This is perfect," she breathed as she looked up at the blonde. She leaned up an inch or so to connect their lips and just as they met, the room filled with a few "aws" and "ohs!" Santana quickly pulled away, her face deep red. Brittany giggled sheepishly as she looked down at her lap.

"Shut up," Santana said jokingly through her laughter. The entire room was laughing, everyone cuddled up to someone, enjoying warm cookies and a Christmas movie.

This is what it felt like, Santana thought. Family.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

**Hey guys! Sorry it took some time here. The ending chapters are harder to write because there's a lot to tie in! **

Also, I know the ornament says 2012 but it isn't 2013 in the story yet because new years eve hasn't happened so bare with me! Thanks! xx


	22. Chapter 22

After the movie finished and everyone managed to fight through their food comas, Lincoln hopped up from the couch.

"Goodnight!" he declared, hugging each and every person in the room. He always went to bed as soon as possible on Christmas Eve since the sooner he fell asleep the sooner he was met with Santa's presents.

"Night buddy," Brittany smiled as she gave him a tiny kiss on the forehead. Lincoln leaned into Santana expecting her to do the same. She complied and added, "Night. Merry Christmas!" The boy blushed all the way to bed.

Once Mrs. Pierce had disappeared with Lincoln to tuck him in, Mr. Lopez stood up.

"We'll probably be heading out too," he smiled, reaching his hand down to help Christine up. She smiled bashfully and gave Robert a kiss on the cheek.

"Merry Christmas," she smiled. "We'll see you in the morning."

"Merry Christmas," he replied. Him and Antony shook hands with smiles and the couple said their goodbyes to the girls.

"We'll see you in the morning?" He asked. Santana nodded.

"Of course. Merry Christmas Dad," she whispered in his ear as she stood to hug him.

"Merry Christmas sweetie."

After Antony and Christine were gone, Mr. Pierce stood up and looked down at the girls, still cuddling on the sofa.

"So what are you two doing?" He asked seriously. Without elaborating Brittany knew he was refereeing to their sleeping arrangement.

"Well I was thinking we could spend the night at Santana's again," Brittany started off softly. "You know, in case we stay up late or something I wouldn't wanna keep you guys up." The man stared at his daughter for a moment deep in thought.

"That's fine with me," Mr. Pierce finally agreed after what felt like a full minute. "As long as you're back up here in the morning, say sevenish? You know Lincoln will be wanting to open up his presents by then. I'll call down to Antony and Christine to remind them, too." Brittany's face lit up.

"Of course," she smiled as she jumped onto her feet to kiss her Dad on the cheek. "Thanks!" Just then Mrs. Pierce returned from laying Lincoln down.

"We're heading downstairs," Brittany told her.

"Perfect!" She smiled. "Then we can get the gifts out and head to bed early," she smiled at Robert. They high-fived and Santana felt her heart swell. It chilled her to see two adults still so in love. Mrs. Pierce gave Santana and Brittany each a hug and a sweet "Merry Christmas!" With that, Brittany took Santana's hand and headed out.

"She's seemed a lot less tired lately," Brittany noted softly as they walked down the quiet hallway.

"Your mom?" Santana asked. Brittany nodded.

"I think it's the drugs. It's just so weird to think about," she confessed. "That she's not healthy." Santana wasn't completely sure what to say at this point, so she just squeezed Brittany's hand a little. Brittany smiled because that was all Santana ever needed to say.

"How've you been feeling, you know, about all of that?" Santana asked. Brittany shrugged.

"Well, thanks to you, I'm finally able to sleep through the night. Which as you'd expect makes everything else a little more bearable," she laughed weakly. "But my Mom's not letting me be negative. I've never been a negative person before so I guess it is pretty silly to start now." While walking, Santana leaned over and pressed a quick kiss onto Brittany's cheek.

"Enough about that," Brittany breathed "It's Christmas Eve! We can be sad another night," she laughed. "Not tonight, though." She pulled quickely on Santana's hand as they rushed toward Santana's door. "Open it," she urged as she tapped against the handle. Santana quirked her eyebrow at her but smiled, slowly and teasingly sliding the lock card into the door. As soon as the green light lit up and the door was unlocked, Brittany pushed Santana into the room in front of her.

"What are you doing?" Santana giggled.

"Do you need a shower?" Brittany said quickly, the door closing behind her.

"Huh?" Santana's eyes narrowed. Brittany was already pulling her sweater over her head. "I just showered before-"

"I need a shower," Brittany cut her off, sliding her leggings down her long legs and stepping out of them. Santana was smirking, half confused and completely loving whatever it was that was happening.

"Wha-"

"You said next time," Brittany said quickly.

"What?" Santana laughed as Brittany leaned over and began tugging Santana's sweater over her head. She complied and raised her arms over her head.

"You said next time you showered you wanted me to join you," she spoke quickly. Santana smiled as she remembered asking Brittany to shower with her early this morning. It was quick and in passing, but the girls had to go downstairs to meet their families.

"But I don't need to shower," Santana teased. Brittany's lips crashed into Santana's neck.

"No?" she hummed, sliding Santana's pants down. Santana didn't answer, she just moaned as she stepped out of her clothes. Brittany spun Santana around, their bodies not disconnecting, as she pushed her back into the bathroom. Santana's breath was already choppy and Brittany was determined to take it away completely. Brittany's arm reached behind Santana and turned on the faucet. She unclipped her own bra and quickly reached behind Santana to do the same to her. She watched as Santana's eyes fell to her chest and she smirked. With her thumbs she yanked down Santana's underwear as Santana mirrored her action. Brittany guided Santana into the square and flat shower and under the now warm water raining down from the faucet straight above them. She pushed Santana up against the wall and pressed her body into her.

"Ugh," Santana moaned. Brittany leaned in and took Santana's lips in hers. The steam was starting to surround them as the water fell onto Brittany's back. It felt so good to be kissing so freely. Brittany's body was warming Santana more than the water and it felt amazing to be so close. Santana's tongue ran against Brittany's lip. They kissed for a few minutes, their bodies one, until finally Santana couldn't take it anymore. Brittany's hands had been running up and down her bare sides and driving her crazy. Suddenly Santana snapped and pushed Brittany off of her. She made sure to grab her wrists to keep Brittany from falling over. Brittany's eyes widened as she did her best to stay balanced on the slippery floor.

"Santana!" Brittany breathed, confused as to why her girlfriend had just thrusted her backwards. Santana took a step off the wall and slowly walked closer to Brittany. She slowly spun Brittany around so her back was against the wall. She held her at arms distance while her eyes roamed over the blonde's body. Her breath hitched.

"Fuck," she breathed just before her mouth landed on Brittany's collarbone. She began sucking on her sweet skin while her hand slid down Brittany's sides to her thigh. She placed her hand on the back of Brittany's thigh and slowly lifted it up onto her side, helping the blonde wrap it around her waist. Brittany's arms wrapped behind Santana's neck to steady herself. In one quick motion, Santana took a step closer, grabbed Brittany by the waist, and hoisted her up into the air. She pressed her completely up against the wall and Brittany instinctually wrapped her other leg around Santana.

"Ah!" she gasped. Santana steadied out her feet and adjusted Brittany around her waist. She looked up at the blonde and her doe-eyed stare. "Y-you're so strong," she stuttered out. Santana just smirked, amused by the blonde's befuddlement. She leaned up and kissed Brittany as her hands dug into the girl's ass. Brittany whimpered a little as she rolled her center into Santana. Santana pressed Brittany's back harder against the wall and, keeping one hand tightly wrapped under the girl's legs, brought her free hand to Brittany's front. With one swift motion, Brittany practically yelped as her muscles tensed around Santana. Two of Santana's fingers were somehow inside of her and she was already writhing on top of the girl. She had urged Santana into the shower with the intention of making it impossible for the girl to walk tomorrow, but it looked like the brunette had beaten her to it.

"S-san," she breathed, the girl's fingers picking up their pace. Santana's mouth moved to Brittany's neck, alternating between kissing and gently biting her skin. Brittany was melting. Her insides were already tightening around Santana. Even through the shower, Santana could feel how wet she was. Santana's legs were beginning to shake from holding the girl up for so long, but she barely noticed. She thrusted her hand upward again as Brittany's throat let out a cross between a squeal and grunt. Her legs tightened around Santana's waist and her hips pushed downward. Three more thrusts upward and Brittany was on edge.

"Babe!" she cried as her insides tightened around Santana. Santana spread her fingers apart and Brittany was done. Her body gave out and Santana was forced use even more strength to hold her up. She used her weight to lean further into the wall and hold the girl up. Brittany was breathing harder than Santana had ever made her breath before. The combination of holding herself up, the hot steamy and thick air, and Santana inside of her was more than she could handle. She could feel Santana shaking and quickly unwrapped her legs.

"Sorry," she breathed weakly as she made her way onto her feet. Both girl's legs felt like jello, but neither minded the least bit. While Brittany worked on slowing her breathing down, Santana planted feather-light kisses along her jawline, neck, and collarbone. Their hands were intertwined. As Santana leaned back, Brittany looked up into her soft eyes.

"Come on," she husked, her eyes suddenly seductive again. She pulled Santana out of the shower, not bothering to dry off, and walked her out to the bed. Santana's teeth were chattering, but she didn't dare say anything, she just followed Brittany's lead. When they reached the bed, Brittany helped Santana lay down on top of the comforter and kneeled next to her.

"You cold?" She asked softly.

"A little," Santana nodded. Brittany lifted her leg around Santana so she was straddling her waist and slowly lowered her body down onto the girl.

"Better?" She asked when her body was resting on Santana's.

"A little," Santana repeated with a smile. Brittany's eyes lifted off from Santana for a second to check the clock.

_11:52_

Her eyes fell back onto Santana with a smirk. Santana quirked an eyebrow at her but before she could say anything Brittany had her lips between hers. Santana hummed against her, her shivering cut short. Brittany was kissing Santana softly, her hands slowly inching down her sides. Santana's center was throbbing and her heart was pounding. She wanted Brittany even closer so she tightened her arms around her, the blondes chest pressing down against hers. Brittany felt Santana's center arching into her, but she just pressed down on her harder. She pulled her lips away and looked at the clock once more.

11:58

"Brit," Santana practically moaned as the blonde's tongue ran across her jaw. Brittany sucked Santana's pulse point and the girl moaned again. Her back arched upwards and once again, Brittany forced it flat. Santana's nails dug into Brittany's lower back and pulled her down onto her while she thrusted upwards again. Brittany stopped sucking for another moment to check the clock once more. Santana's eyes shot open with the break in contact.

_12:01_

Brittany's smile widened uncontrollably as she looked down at Santana.

"What?" Santana breathed.

"Merry Christmas," Brittany whispered. Santana giggled.

"Merry Christmas," She smiled back.

"Now," Brittany sang. "Your first present," she smirked. With that, she was sliding down Santana's body, her lips stopping along the way to kiss down Santana's abs. Her body froze. Her legs already felt like jello but she was positive whatever Brittany was going to do was going to make her go numb.

"Brit," she shuttered as her lips stopped just above her center. "Babe," she urged when Brittany didn't stop. Finally Brittany looked up at Santana with an inquisitive look. "Are you sure?" she whispered. She wanted more than _anything_ for Brittany to continue, but she knew this was the girl's first time doing this. If she needed more time to feel comfortable, Santana would be okay with it. Brittany didn't answer immediately. Instead, her she dragged her tongue an inch across Santana's stomach.

"I'm absolutely, one hundred percent positive," she said slowly. Santana's body was already shaking with anticipation.

With that, Brittany's lips were down on Santana's thigh, kissing hard.

"Ugh!" Escaped Santana's lips as Brittany's breath hit her sex. Finally, Brittany took a deep breath and gently kissed the spot her breath had just hit. Santana whimpered.

"Does this feel okay?" Brittany whispered hesitantly.

"Yes," Santana urged quietly. "It's good. Good. Go," she stammered.

Brittany kissed again, this time keeping her lips pressed to Santana. Her body shook. Brittany smiled as she parted her lips slightly, her lips surrounding Santana's sex. She sucked gently until she could feel Santana shaking. She slid her tongue through the girl's folds.

"Fuck!" Santana practically shouted. "B-rittany!" Brittany's hands dug into the girl's sides as her tongue found its way inside Santana.

"Fuck," she breathed again, her inside immediately tightening around the girl's tongue. Butterflies were banging to get out. She felt like she was in the middle of a giant roller coaster drop. Brittany only had to push inside of her once more before Santana let out one last yelp. She writhed on the bed and her muscles locked up. Brittany retracted her tongue and her head collapsed on the bed.

Both girls were breathing as though they'd just completed a marathon. Santana's heart was going wild, her stomach lighter than ever. Brittany was just as breathless, for she'd never gotten so much pleasure from pleasuring someone else. Everything with Santana made her feel like flying and it was incredible.

"Brit," Santana sighed when she finally felt in control of herself again. Brittany lifted her head and slid herself up Brittany's body. Santana tried to say something, but all that she could manage was a few shaky breaths. More than a few girls had gone down on Santana, but nobody had _ever_ made it feel like that. Brittany wasn't quite sure what to say. Her cheeks were a deep shade of red. Instead of saying something dumb, she slid up the bed and pulled the covers down for the girls to get under. Once Santana made it underneath, she wrapped her arms around Brittany's neck and they fell onto their sides. Santana leaned her nose into the girl's.

"That was incredible," Santana whispered. Brittany bit down on her lip as she smiled. "Thank you," she added softly. Brittany leaned in and pressed her lips to Santana's with a smile.

They laid there for a few moments just staring at each other, taking in every feature on the other's face in the dimly lit room. After a few minutes, Santana began to smirk.

"Hm?" Brittany asked, her eyes twinkling.

"I fucking _love_ Christmas."

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

When the girl's alarm went off, Brittany hopped up like, well, a child on Christmas morning.

"Santana! Wake up!" She shook the brunette. Santana's eyes slowly opened_._

"Mmm," Santana hummed. She opened her eyes and upon seeing Brittany's expression realized what day it was. "Merry Christmas baby," she smiled. Brittany's lips crashed into Santana's. Chills hit both of them, like always.

"Merry Christmas," Brittany smiled back. "Now wake up." Brittany jumped off of the girl and Santana watched her bare body walk towards her drawers. She pulled out two pairs of sweats and two t-shirts and threw an outfit at Santana.

"Come on, come on!" She rushed. "We gotta get upstairs!" Santana giggled and quickly followed the blonde's instructions. Soon enough, they were headed out, but not before Santana grabbed her gifts. She had a few bags so Brittany helped her carry one of them, on the condition that she wouldn't peek.

When they made it upstairs, everyone was waiting for them in the hotel room.

"Finally!" Lincoln called just before the room erupted in many "Merry Christmas!"'s. Everyone exchanged hugs and kisses, all while Lincoln banged on the connecting door.

"Can we go? Daddy, please," he cried.

"Okay, okay," Mr. Pierce laughed. Mrs. Pierce turned on the video camera and took a step in front of Lincoln.

"Ready?" She asked. The boy smiled and nodded furiously. Mrs. Pierce pushed open the door behind her and Lincoln ran into the most beautiful set up Santana had ever seen. The perfectly decorated tree was surrounded by tons of presents- trucks, sneakers, baseball bats, video games, clothes, a camera- anything Brittany or Lincoln could imagine. They all stepped in- wide-eyed- and Mr. Lopez nudged Santana.

"I didn't forget about you," he whispered softly. Santana stepped closer and on the right side of the tree was the black leather jacket Santana had mentioned to him before they'd left for the trip. Her jaw dropped. She knew it wasn't by any means cheap. She turned and jumped into her Dad's arms.

"Thank you, thank you," she stammered.

"Go check it out," he laughed. When she got over to her jacket, there were piles beneath it. Shirts, skirts, dresses, pants- all which she was sure her mother had picked out since she actually liked them- were laying there all for her. A joint card from her Mom and Dad almost had her tearing up.

_We're so incredibly proud of the young woman you've become. We're blessed everyday by you and the gifts you bring us- so enjoy a few gifts from us!_

_Love, _

_Mom and Dad_

The card sampled both of their handwritings and she knew they had written it together. _Thank you_ she mouthed to her father who had is arm around Christine as they watched her from the couch.

Santana looked over to Brittany who was grinning wide as she helped Lincoln assemble a new lego set. Behind her was a new digital camera, clothes, dvds, cds, and a few books.

"Hey Lincoln," Santana smiled softly as she walked over to him. She pulled a wrapped present out of her bag and handed it to him. "I got a little something for you."

"Sweet!" He smiled as he ripped the paper away. "Dad! Dad!" he called. "Dad, look what I got!" He was shouting and everyone was watching him. He held up the Nerf gun set with two sets of guns, chest protectors and goggles. "We can play!"

"That's awesome buddy!" Mr. Pierce laughed. "What do you say?"

"Thanks Santana!" He cheered as he ran over the give her a hug.

"Thank you Santana," Mr. Pierce said sincerely. "That was really sweet of you." Santana smiled and walked over to her Dad. She pulled out another gift and handed it to him.

"For me?" He asked. She nodded. She couldn't wait for him to open it. She was loving the unexpected joy giving gifts gave her.

"Open it," she demanded. He peeled away the paper, dramatically slower than Lincoln, and pulled out the tiny book. He held it in his hands for a moment before finally opening it.

"San," he breathed when he realized what it was. Pages on pages on pages of photos of Santana and Antony from infancy to just last month. The book had cute captions underneath most of the photos. When Santana looked up, she saw a tear escaping the corner of his eye.

"Dad," she laughed.

"Honey this is beautiful," he smiled. He stood up and took her in his arms. He planted a kiss on her head and held her for a moment. "Thank you," he breathed. "It's awesome."

"Merry Christmas," she smiled.

"I love you," he told her.

"Love you too," she grinned.

"Hey, um, Santana?" Brittany breathed quietly, worried she was interrupting the two.

"Hm?" Santana spun to face her. For a moment, her beauty stunned Brittany. The air got a little thicker. Maybe it was just because she was extra nervous for what she was about to say, or maybe it was just how beautiful Santana really was. Maybe it was both.

"Can I give you my gift now?" She asked weakly. Santana smiled and leaned down to pick up her bag with Brittany's present in it. Brittany interlaced her fingers with Santana's and slowly walked her into the other room. She took a peek around the corner and once she saw it was empty, walked Santana as far away from the family as she could. Santana was pretty shocked to see another hallway leading past the kitchen into what appeared to be another secluded mini-family room. There was just a small coffee table and couch inside and Brittany took a seat down. She placed her tiny bag on top of the table and looked at Santana who sat down beside her. Santana peeked down at her gift and her heart took off thinking about handing Brittany her card.

"I'll go first," Santana mumbled reaching down for her card. The sooner she got it over with the sooner she could actually breath again.

"No," Brittany breathed as she snatched Santana's wrist before she could grab the gift. "Me first." Santana's eyebrows perked up a little but she let the girl go.

"Okay," she smiled softly, a little surprised.

"First," Brittany giggled lightly. "I said this before and I'll say it again: I can't date a girl without a hat," she smiled as she pulled out dark red knitted beanie with a matching red scarf. "So I knitted this for you."

"Brit!" Santana beamed with laughter. "You're so cute," she shook her head. "I love it, thank you." Santana took the gift into her hand and gave Brittany a quick kiss before pulling her into a hug.

"Okay," Brittany swallowed. Santana watched the nerves hit Brittany. "I have two gifts left, this one," she motioned to her bag. "And one more that I'm still kind of working on," she swallowed. "It's my favorite one," she smiled nervously. "But anyway, this one," she pulled out a book sized object and handed it to Santana. Santana looked up at Brittany before finally peeling the paper away.

"Oh my-" Santana's breath hitched. In her hands was a hard silver bound journal. Engraved on the cover in beautiful cursive was _Santana Lopez. _Santana ran her thumb over the engraving and then flipped the pages open and let her fingers brush against the paper. It was a pretty cream color with dark tiny lines.

"I thought you could use another one," Brittany shrugged. "Maybe you can write about me sometime," she blushed. Santana laughed lightly.

"That's a promise," Santana joked. "Babe, this is perfect," she smiled, her hand smoothing over the hard, silver cover.

"I wanna show you something," Brittany said suddenly serious again, her hands landing on top of the book. She flipped the cover back over and Santana's heart stopped.

"Brit," she breathed in disbelief. On the inside of the front cover was the piece of paper Santana had ripped from her journal weeks ago. The handwritten note was laminated to the inside of the cover. In Santana's script, it read:

_I can't stop thinking about you._

Santana looked up at Brittany, her eyes already starting to get glassy. It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

"You kept it?" Santana asked, her face softening.

"Of course," Brittany said lightly. "The night before that, after we kissed, I didn't sleep one minute," she confessed. "I stayed up all night thinking about you and wondering if I was even crossing your mind."

"I wrote about you all fucking morning," Santana admitted back. Brittany smiled softly.

"That kiss," Brittany remembered. "It did something to me. I couldn't even _look_ at Sam anymore. Then you left me that note," she said quietly, "And suddenly Sam didn't even exist." Santana gulped. "I already promised him a dinner, though," she remembered. "So I went anyway. And then I get to the club and there you are, dancing with Quinn. Still mad at you for that, by the way," Brittany joked with a pout.

"Sorry," Santana laughed lightly.

"Heartbroken, I ran away to the bathroom. You followed me there. Then do you remember what you said to me?"

"About what?" Santana asked, not sure exactly what Brittany was referring to.

"You apologized. Because you thought I was trying to get back with Sam. And then it hit me," Brittany sighed, her breathy suddenly shaky. Santana wasn't sure where Brittany was going. She took her hands and placed them in her lap. "I didn't want to _be _with Sam," she said. Her voice was strained. "I _don't_ want to. I don't want to be with him or anyone else. Ever," her voice broke. Santana's heart fluttered. Brittany's heart was pounding.

"Ever since I met you," Brittany started again, "I haven't stopped thinking about you. And I've looked at that note every day since you gave it to me, just to know that I'm not crazy and that you're maybe thinking about me to."

"Nonstop," Santana confirmed.

"Santana," Brittany cut her off again. "I never stop thinking about you," she swallowed. Her eyes were watery and her lip was shaking. "I never stop thinking about you," she repeated, "because I'm in love with you."

Santana's world stopped spinning. Her heart skipped multiple beats. Her stomach flipped. Chills ran down her spine.

Brittany was shaking. All of her. It felt incredible to say and she wanted to feel it again.

"I've never loved talking to someone so much. Nobody's ever made my stomach flip like you do. Nobody makes me feel so giddy all the time. Nobody's ever made me _want_ to follow my dreams," she said quietly, a tiny tear escaping her right eye. "I've never been so happy. When you smile at me," Brittany smiled and shook her head. "And when we kiss-" Brittany stopped. "I love you, Santana."

Santana wanted to say it back so badly but all she could think to do was kiss Brittany. Hard. Her hands shot up to Brittany's face and she took Brittany's lips in between hers, both of their hearts jumping. Santana finally pulled away, fighting for air, and let out a breathy laugh. Brittany looked up at her, waiting to hear the magic words back. Santana could see it in her eyes and reached down to her bag. She pulled out a letter and placed it in Brittany's hands.

"I wrote this two days ago," Santana confessed quietly. "I'd been dying to say it for awhile now, but I kept chickening out." Brittany's eyebrows narrowed together as she unfolded the letter.

_Brittany,_

_I came to this lodge expecting hell. I was pissed about missing out on a break with my friends and didn't know what on Earth I was going to do to pass the month away. Now, I'd do anything to add even just one more day. Meeting you has been the best thing that's ever happened to me. You're the most beautiful person I've ever met. Your inner beauty impossibly surpasses your physical beauty. Everything about you makes me smile. I've never looked forward to every day so much. When I'm with you, nothing else can even compete for my attention. When I'm not with you, you're all I think about. Brittany I never want you to forget how amazing you are. You're an incredible person and I think it's impossible for someone to not like you. _

_Before I met you, I was terrified of love. I didn't even know how to fall in love. I didn't know how to be vulnerable. But with you, Brittany, I didn't have to try. It just happened. You make me vulnerable. And I love it. Everything about us is easy. Everything you do makes me happy. I've been trying to say this for awhile now, and in case you haven't figured it out yet, I am completely and foolishly in love with you. All of you. _

_I can never thank you enough for inviting me into your life and showing me what family means. I don't know what happens after this. I don't know how we're supposed to make this work, but there's no doubt in my mind that we will. I love you and distance will never change that. I'd wait a hundred years if that meant we could be together. I love you and the way you make me feel and nothing will ever change that. Thank you for letting me be apart of your world, because Brittany, you are my world. _

_Yours forever,_

_Santana Lopez_

Brittany was sobbing uncontrollably. Her eyes were puffy and red but she was smiling. Santana had tears sliding down her cheeks, too. Brittany sniffled and looked up for the first time since she'd gotten the letter.

"Do you- do you really mean this?"

"Every word," Santana breathed. "Sorry it's so cheesy I-" Brittany's lips cut her off, the salty taste of tears on each other's lips. Their hearts were beating in synch. When Brittany pulled away, Santana finished, "I tend to get that way when I write." Brittany giggled and wiped away Santana's tears with her thumbs.

"I love you," Brittany said again, ignoring Santana completely.

"I love you too," Santana smiled. "So much."

_XxXxXxXxXx_

**Hey guys! I'm sorry for the wait! Some real life things came up and a good friend needed me so I had to postpone writing for a few days. **

**Anyway, thank you so much for reading and reviewing! You're the best. xx**


	23. Chapter 23

They spent the next the next five minutes giving each other sweet lady kisses, euphoria flowing between them. Brittany's hands hadn't left Santana's face, and Santana's were resting on the blonde's waist. They couldn't fight off their smiles even with their lips pressed together. The room was filled with their light giggles.

"Girls," They heard Mr. Pierce called from the other room. "Breakfast is here!" Brittany pulled her lips away from Santana's but kept their noses brushing.

"One minute," Brittany called back, her voice making Santana flinch a little. "Sorry," Brittany giggled. "It's alright," Santana laughed. She stood up but Brittany grabbed her forearm to keep her close.

"Wait," she whispered. "Thank you," Brittany breathed.

"Are you kidding?" Santana smiled. "Thank _you_. The journal, the hat. They were perfect enough. Then you were brave enough to say what I was too terrified to. I had to fucking write it."

"Santana." Brittany squeezed her hand hard. "That was the most beautiful thing I've ever read. I _wish_ I was able to tell you how I felt like that." Santana sat back down beside Brittany, their hands now intertwined. "And honestly? I really didn't want to give up that note," she tapped the inside of the journal that was laying next to the girls. _I can't stop thinking about you. _Santana smiled. She had to admit it, that was pretty cute of her. "I loved having something from you. Something you wrote. But," Brittany continued, "this letter is ten thousand times better." She leaned in and kissed Santana. "It's the best gift I've ever gotten. So yes, thank you." Brittany leaned in again but Santana pulled back a little.

"Shit," she breathed. "I forgot something," she reached back down into the bag.

"Hm?" Brittany's eyebrows knitted together.

"I got so caught up in the whole 'I love you' business- I love you, by the way," she smiled cheesily, her tongue poking out between her teeth. Brittany giggled.

"I love you too."

"I made these," Santana said as she held out a tiny pouch. Brittany took it from her and pulled out two strung bracelets, each a little wider than Brittany's thumb. One was a light blue, the exact color of Brittany's eyes, and the other was a dark red.

"I thought I could wear one and you could wear one," Santana said hesitantly. She wasn't sure if Brittany liked it or not. She flipped over the bracelets to show Brittany that on the light blue one a black B was strung in. On the red one, a matching black S.

"Babe," Brittany cooed. "Oh my gosh." Brittany loved it. They looked like the friendship bracelets she used to make her friends in high school, only these were way more impressive. Brittany wasn't sure how Santana made them so wide, or how the B and S were stitched perfectly right in the middle.

Santana picked up the blue one with the B on it and placed in on Brittany's left wrist. She pulled the strings around and begun to tie it.

"Wait," Brittany stopped her. She pulled her wrist away from Santana and took the blue bracelet off her wrist. She grabbed for Santana's wrist and began tying the blue strings around it.

"I want you to wear this one," she said softly. Santana's smile didn't falter, but her forehead creased. Brittany held out her wrist and handed Santana the red bracelet. "And I wanna wear this one." Santana grinned as she tied the red bracelet around Brittany's wrist. They looked down at their wrists, Brittany wearing an S and Santana wearing a B.

"I love it," Brittany smiled as she wrapped her arms around Santana's neck and planted a kiss on her lips. "It's perfect," she whispered against her mouth.

"Girls!" Mr. Pierce shouted again from down the hall.

"Okay, okay," Brittany laughed, standing up from the bed. She took Santana by the hand and the girls joined their families for breakfast.

"I love that," Mrs. Pierce tugged at Brittany's bracelet as they finished up their meal.

"Thanks," She beamed. "Santana made it." Mrs. Pierce turned to Santana with a smile.

"It's wonderful," she told the girl. Santana smiled bashfully.

"I was thinking," Mr. Pierce announced quite loudly. "Since we have that fancy-smancy dinner tonight, we should do something fun this afternoon."

"Yes!" Brittany interjected. Mr. Pierce giggled at his daughter. Santana joined in, only because the two were eerily similar. Fancy-smancy was something Brittany would say.

"Like what?" Mrs. Pierce asked.

"Well George," that was the concierge, Santana remembered, "told me there was snowmobiling just down the hill. We've never done that," he shrugged.

"Oh my gosh, yes!" Brittany cried. "Please, Mom?" She begged. Mrs. Pierce was usually the more cautious one when it came to adventurous stunts.

"I suppose-" She started. She didn't get to finish though, since Brittany had practically jumped onto her lap.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Great!" Mr. Pierce said. "Then everyone go get changed and we'll meet downstairs in say, twenty minutes?"

"Perfect," Antony smiled. He was almost as excited as Brittany.

Brittany quickly grabbed her snow pants, jacket and boots and headed downstairs with Santana to get changed. She didn't want to be without her girl for a minute.

"I get to wear my new hat today," Santana smiled as she stepped into her puffy snow pants.

"Yay!" Brittany smiled as she stepped closer to Santana. She wrapped her arms around the girl's waist. Brittany had gotten dressed quite quickly, Santana only a tad behind her. She smiled as she slipped her jacket on, maneuvering it around Brittany's arms. Brittany's hands moved up Santana's body and landed on the bottom of her gently curled hair. She tugged a little with a smirk.

"Guess what?"

"Hm?" Santana smiled with a puzzled expression. Brittany wiggled her eyebrows as she pulled out her brand new red camera from her back pocket.

"Look what I brought." Santana giggled. "I think it's time for our first picture together."

"Yeah?" Santana smirked.

"Mhm," Brittany mumbled as she focused on the camera, trying to figure out exactly how to turn it on. Once she got it working she held it out at arms distance, the lens facing the couple. Brittany wrapped her free her arm around Santana's waist and pulled the girl closer. Santana normally didn't love taking pictures, but she wasn't the least bit phased by Brittany's camera.

"Ready?" She turned to Santana whose face was less than an inch from hers. Santana smiled and nodded and Brittany turned back towards the camera, her award winning smile plastered on her face. Brittany started to count and just before she hit three, Santana turned her head and decided to kiss Brittany on the cheek. The flash went off and Brittany giggled.

"San!" She yelped as she turned the camera around to look at the end result. "Aww," Brittany cooed when she saw how cute they looked.

"See?" San smiled. "Now our first picture is memorable."

"Another!" Brittany grinned. She held the camera up and took a quick one of their faces squished together, both smiling. She turned to kiss Santana and managed to take what would be one of her favorites- their lips locked, smiles big on both of their lips.

"We're cute," Santana laughed. Brittany quickly held the camera up and took a photo of Santana before she could dodge it. She was giggling, her hand in midair in an effort to stop the photo.

"You're cute," Brittany chuckled. She held the camera up again but Santana quickly snatched up the girl's wrists and pressed herself against Brittany.

"No more," Santana tried to scold Brittany but a few giggles escaped her bitten lip.

"Hey!" Brittany protested. "We're making memories!"

"I can think of a few _other_ ways to make memories," Santana husked, her lips dragging across Brittany's jawline. The girl shivered as Santana tried to lower her onto the bed. The camera dropped right out of Brittany's hand.

"That's what I thought," Santana giggled at the sound of the camera hitting the floor. She stood upright, her body leaving Brittany's, and Brittany shot upward.

"Hey!" She pouted. "That was mean."

"Don't you wanna go snowmobiling?" Santana asked softly.

"Oh," Brittany breathed. "Yeah, I guess," she sighed.

"Then come on," Santana helped her up. "It's Christmas! Put a smile on your face." It only took a soft kiss to make that happen.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"You've got to wear the helmets," Mrs. Pierce demanded of her family. Santana obviously didn't want to go against what Brittany's Mom wanted so she signed up for a rental helmet as well, something her Dad seemed thrilled about. He made sure to get one too. Brittany picked out the light blue helmet, as Santana had suspected, and Santana went with the classic black one. Once everyone was geared up, they followed the guide outside to the snow covered hilly trail.

"Oh!" Brittany grabbed Santana's hand through her gloves. "I want that one!" She pointed to the silver and dark purple snow mobile and ran over to it, jumping up and straddling the seat.

"Woah, woah," the guide laughed as he jogged over to her. "Slow down!" He was in his early thirties and had what sounded like a french-canadian accent. He picked up a red strap attached to the handle bar and slid it around Brittany's wrist. "For emergencies," he smiled. "If you fall off, it will shut off," he explained. Brittany nodded. "Are you two sharing?" He asked Santana.

"Mhm," Brittany nodded.

"Hop on the back," he told her. Santana threw her leg over the long bench and scooched closer to Brittany. "Here," he took Santana's arms and wrapped them around Brittany's waist. "Hold on tight." He didn't seem comfortable enough with English to say much more. He waved everyone else over to him and began explaining the basics. He was about to start talking when Mr. Pierce politely interrupted.

"Excuse me, sorry. Do you mind if I take a photo of them?" Brittany rolled her eyes playfully.

"Go ahead!" Mr. Pierce pulled out the red camera Brittany had handed to him on the way over. He was directly in front of them so Santana had to rest her head on Brittany's shoulder. Neither girl had their helmet on yet, so they smiled wide, Santana's arms tightly hugging Brittany. _Snap._

"Thank you," Mr. Pierce smiled as he looked down at the too adorable photo. He walked over and handed Brittany the camera which she zipped up in her snow pant's pocket. The guide nodded and continued.

"This is go," he told them, pointing to the throttle. "Pull back," he demonstrated. "This is the break. You must wear the strap!" Everyone nodded. "Hold on like this, she is doing a very good job," he referred to Santana whose arms were tightly wrapped around Brittany, her back pressed right up against the girl. They tried to ignore all the smirks from their families as the guide continued. He turned on Brittany's snowmobile and said, "If you need to stop suddenly, pull your wrist back." He yanked Brittany's wrist gently and the snowmobile shut off immediately. "Ready?" He asked as he walked over to his ride. He hopped on and waited for everyone else to settle in. Once everyone was ready to go, he started his machine and began slowly driving forward. Brittany was directly behind him, so she pulled back on the throttle and the girls shot forward.

"Woah!" Santana yelped tightening her grip on Brittany.

"Sorry!" Brittany giggled, immediately releasing the throttle.

"Gentle," Santana laughed. Brittany nodded and tried again, the girls smoothly driving forward. "There you go."

The group followed the guide in a single file line, riding to the end of the trail. The end of the trail led to a few open acres filled with jumps and hills and forested areas.

"Okay, you've paid for a few hours," the guide announced as he checked his watch. "You have almost three hours. Come in whenever you like. Just take the trail back and you'll be back at the cabin in no time! Patrol will be around soon to make sure it's going well," he explained. "Have fun!" With that, he drove away.

"Okay," Mr. Pierce stated firmly. "Be safe and don't do anything dumb."

"Deal," Brittany smirked as she pulled back on the throttle even quicker than the first time and the girls flew away leaving nothing but Santana's echoed scream behind.

"That doesn't look like good news," Antony joked with a laugh.

"Oh my gosh! Brit!" Santana screamed as she squeezed her eyes shut. "Slow down!" The wind was hitting against them hard and Santana was more than grateful the helmet's shield was blocking it from her eyes. Brittany just giggled and kept on flying.

"Wanna jump?" She shouted. The combination of the engine roaring with their helmets blocking their mouths they had to raise their voices.

"What? No!" Santana was shrieking and begun to cling tighter to Brittany.

"Just a small one," Brittany calmly told her. She sounded like she was relaxing on the beach, not going sixty miles per hour. Before Santana could object, she added, "hold on!" and the snowmobile was a good two feet in the air. Santana's heart stopped and her stomach shot up to her throat.

"Umph," they both let out as they hit the ground again.

"Brittany!" Santana screamed once she was positive she still had a pulse. Brittany began to slow, her laughter not subsiding, until they finally came to a stop. She craned her neck around to face Santana and pulled her helmet off, a huge grin plastered on her face.

"That was fun," Brittany smiled.

"Are you _trying_ to kill me?"

"Oh come on, you gotta enjoy a little adventure."

"Oh I _love_ adventure," Santana pulled her helmet off as well. "When it isn't life threatening."

"You're so dramatic," Brittany laughed. She leaned in and gave Santana a mouse kiss and pulled away. "Plus, that wasn't even a real jump."

"No," Santana shook her head at Brittany's mischievous grin. "No. No, no, no, no."

"San," Brittany pleaded. Santana crossed her arms. "Okay, okay," Brittany laughed lightly. "We'll just ride around for a little bit. Then, maybe if you're feeling more adventurous," she sang, "we can try something else."

"Unlikely," Santana murmured. Brittany couldn't help but giggle at her girlfriend. She was so cute when she pouted. Brittany pulled her helmet back on and Santana did the same.

"Hang on," Brittany said as she turned back to the throttle.

Soon enough they were flying again, Brittany not bothering to slow down. After almost fifteen minutes, they'd lost sight of everybody else.

"You wanna drive?" Brittany asked Santana as she came to a sudden stop.

"No, you're doing fine." Santana was clearly too terrified to move.

"Oh come on," Brittany rolled her eyes, hopping off the snowmobile. "Go on, scoot forward." Santana stared at her for a moment before realizing she wasn't going to win this battle. She slid forward and Brittany jumped on behind her, her warm body immediately distracting Santana. She fit perfectly against her. Santana felt Brittany's hands fall on the back of hers as she lifted them upwards towards the throttle. Brittany strapped the red cord to Santana's wrist. "Okay. Now, really gently," Brittany whispered. Santana's fingers lightly pulled backwards, the initial jolt not nearly as sharp as Brittany's had been. After about a hundred feet of straight driving, Santana heard light laughter from behind her.

"You know," Brittany started, "you can go more than five miles per hour."

"Shut up," Santana laughed. She was going ridiculously slow. She tilted her wrist backwards a little further, her speed picking up.

"Oo," Brittany said sarcastically. "What is that, twelve miles per hour? You dare devil!" To hide her laughter, and to shut the blonde up, Santana tugged backwards as hard as she could and the snowmobile jerked forward.

"Woo!" Brittany screamed as adrenaline hit them both. They were going much faster than they had when Brittany had been driving and Brittany didn't mind one bit. At first, Santana didn't either. She had to admit. She felt free. She was laughing. Hard too. Completely out of breath, she drove the two of them down the slight hill. They hit a tiny bump but Santana recovered quickly with the steering and they evened back out.

"Fuck!" Santana breathed, her free feeling beginning to vanish. She wanted to stop, but the fear of hitting the break too hard and flipping herself and Brittany over the handlebar was looming over her.

"Jump!" Brittany shouted as she pointed ahead. A ramp that led somewhere Santana couldn't quite see was straight in front of her and unless she turned, she was going to hit it.

"What? No!" Santana panicked. "We don't even know how high it is!" She was shouting and her breath was choppy. She wasn't sure which way to go and her head began turning to examine her options.

"Just jump!" Brittany begged as her arms tightened around Santana. It was almost enough encouragement. Just as Santana was about to pull right, Brittany spoke up loud and clear.

"Do you feel safe with me?" Her voice was loud and serious, her silly, playful tone momentarily gone.

"O-of course," Santana stammered.

"Then jump!" She shouted. Before Santana could think of any reason not to, they were headed up the ramp.

"Holy shit holy shit holy shit!" Santana screamed as the snowmobile picked up speed and lifted off the ramp. They were literally flying when they both saw what was below them: the end. About ten feet after where they were destined to land a giant forest started. If they landed where they were headed, they'd no doubt drive right into the trees.

"Fuck!" Santana's heart dropped. Brittany saw it a second later, but had a similar reaction.

"Oh my- JUMP!" She shouted. Santana was too shocked to absorb what the girl was saying, but the lower they got, the quicker she realized what she had to do. About five feet from the ground, right before the landing, Brittany jumped off the left side of the snowmobile and used her weight to pull Santana with her. They landed fluffily, though not without a little "ugh" in the snow. Santana fell onto her back while Brittany landed on her side.

"Mm," Brittany groaned lightly as she slowly opened her eyes. The snowmobile, which had thankfully turned off when Santana's wrist disconnected from the handle, was laying upside down less than five feet from the first tree.

"Shit," Brittany breathed quietly as she removed her helmet.

"Well," Santana sighed, thankful to feel no bruising in her ribs. "Here's your little adventure." Brittany chuckled as she sat up.

"You okay?" Santana removed her helmet before answering.

"I think so," She said as she sat up beside her. Snow really was as soft as people said. If that had been grass she would have broken God knows how many bones. Brittany made it to her feet and ventured over to the snowmobile. It didn't appear to have any physical damage but Brittany couldn't be sure until she tried to start it.

"Sorry," Brittany mumbled as she continued to inspect her ride. "I guess I shouldn't have urged you to jump," she said sheepishly.

Santana thought about it for a moment. In any other circumstances, she'd be more than pissed. But she wasn't. She'd jumped. She'd taken the leap that seemed so terrifying. It didn't by any means turn out perfectly, but it didn't seem to matter, because she was with Brittany.

Santana let out a few light giggles. Brittany's head turned to her.

"Hm?"

"This is crazy," she shook her head. Brittany stared at her, her eyes brimming with concern. "We almost just fucking died!" She laughed. Brittany's face was heating up.

"I'm sorry," Brittany sighed at the ground. She didn't mean to ruin the day.

"Brit," Santana laughed. "It's okay! You were right, I need more adventure in my life." Santana looked around in disbelief. They were at least twenty feet underneath the jump and fifteen feet from the forest. Santana wasn't even sure if there was a way out. Without the snowmobile, she was positive they'd be stranded for quite some time. Crazily enough, amidst her numb toes, she didn't seem to mind.

"Well good," Brittany told her. "Because this is turning into quite the adventure." For the first time, Santana seemed to be the more optimistic one. She stood up and walked over to her. Her face was buried in the space between the snowmobile and the snow.

"Babe," Santana breathed as she squatted down besides Brittany, her hands falling on her back. "Relax," Santana smiled. "We'll be alright." Brittany looked up at her and just as she was about to apologize again, Santana added, "don't apologize. Here, let's flip this over." The girl's squatted as low as they could and on the count of three used all their strength to push the snowmobile right-side-up. Brittany hopped on and tried to start it, but there was nothing but silence.

"Crap," she sighed. She adjusted a few things and tried some more but the damn snowmobile wouldn't start. "Looks like we're walking," Brittany turned to her.

"To where?" Santana laughed looking around. Brittany looked around seriously before bursting out into laughter.

"What the hell," she laughed, her head falling into her hands. "What are we supposed to do?"

"I don't know!" Santana laughed.

"I'm a fucking idiot," Brittany giggled.

"I'm the idiot that jumped," Santana reminded her. They took another look around and, once they realized there was no use going anywhere, decided it was best to wait for the patrol the guide had promised.

"When we hear noise, we can scream or something," Santana shrugged. "Worse comes to worst, we find a way to get back up there," Santana nodded up the huge hill. They both knew that option was practically impossible, but decided to ignore it for the time being.

Santana looked around again before walking over to the ramp they had just jumped from. The wall of snow was over twenty feet high so Santana sat down right in front of it. She leaned back against it and patted the snow next to her. Brittany walked over and sat down beside her. The wall was pure ice but their jackets protected them from most of the coldness.

As they settled into the snow, the light laughter started up again. Brittany began laughing so much that she doubled over onto Santana, her head resting right in her lap.

"We're stranded," Brittany laughed.

"It's my dream come true," Santana joked. "Being stranded with the one and only Brittany Pierce. Although, I always imagined it be on and island somewhere, you know, since clothes wouldn't be required, but I guess this'll have to do for now." Brittany giggled.

"Thanks for being so cool about this," Brittany said shyly as she grabbed for the back of neck.

"Please," Santana said softly. "We got here together." Santana ran her still gloved hands over Brittany's blonde locks. "Guess we got quite some time to kill."

"Let's play the question game," Brittany told her, the life returning to her voice.

"The what?"

"The question game," Brittany said simply. "You know, where you ask each other questions?"

"Oh of course!" Santana said jokingly. "The question game!" Brittany reached up and hit her arm playfully.

"Shut up," she giggled. "You go."

"Okay," she said. "Hm. Any question?"

"Anything." Santana was quiet for a moment.

"Have you ever regretted something?" Brittany didn't even have to think about it. She started speaking immediately.

"One time, when I was in first grade, my teacher Mr. Matthews introduced us to his wife. She was really pretty. I still remember thinking that. Her face was glowing and her brown hair was like _perfect_. But anyway, we all went up to shake her hand, and when I was supposed to introduce myself, all I said was 'congratulations!' She smiled so sweetly and asked, 'for what?' And I said, 'for your new baby!'" Brittany stopped for a minute, Santana's eyebrows creasing together. Brittany wasn't looking up at Santana, she was looking straight up in the sky. "I thought she was pregnant," she finally clarified. "She wasn't. Just a little _round._" Santana tried to stifle her laughter. "You should have seen her face," Brittany recalled. "I didn't understand it right away, but about two years later I put it all together. I never forgave myself." There was a long silence before Santana's sweet laughter filled the air.

"What?" Brittany asked, her voice edging on annoyed.

"That's your biggest regret?"

"I hurt her feelings," Brittany said weakly.

"You're an angel," Santana sighed, her hand landing on Brittany's horizontal waist. Brittany relaxed as a smile grew on her lips.

"What about you? Do you have a big regret?"

The first thing that popped into Santana's mind was what she used to always think: Letting Riley and what she thought was her only shot at love go.

"I used to," Santana said softly. "Not anymore though. You know, like they say, everything happens for a reason," she smiled.

"Biggest fear?" Brittany asked.

"Easy. Heights." Brittany laughed, partly because she remembered the girl's fear, and secondly because she wasn't sure she believed it. "You?"

"Death. Not mine, just, you know, losing other people." Santana rubbed her hair away from her forehead and leaned down to press her lips there.

"How many people have you slept with?" Santana asked boldly.

"Um," Brittany swallowed. "Well, really, I guess three. Sam was my first, then there was only one other when we were on a break. I regretted it really quickly, too. Didn't feel anything. Then in college, after we broke up, I tried, but I couldn't bring myself to go all the way. And then you," she smiled, the heat rushing to her cheeks. "What about you?" Santana took a deep breath. She wasn't exactly sure.

"I'd say maybe like nine," she said. She felt Brittany gasp.

"Any boys?"

"No, all girls."

"In high school? There were that many that were open?"

"Oh gosh no," Santana laughed. "None of them were even close open. Except Riley," she remembered. "One in college was out. The rest claimed they were just _experimenting_. They almost always came back, though," she scoffed. Brittany smiled. She definitely would have too.

"So then, I must seem like, not as great," Brittany whispered.

"What?" Santana's eyebrows creased.

"I mean, you're the first girl I've slept with, and you've had like nine others." Santana didn't have the heart to tell her she'd remembered two others, bringing the number to eleven.

"Brit," Santana chuckled a little. "_Never_ underestimate yourself in bed." Brittany's eyes widened a little. She quirked her eyebrow up at Santana. "You're the best I've ever had," she confessed meekly.

"Same goes for you," Brittany blushed. "Who was your first kiss?"

"Sixth grade, spin the bottle, Ricky Sparks."

"A boy?" She asked. Santana giggled.

"Mhm. First kiss was with a boy. Quick peck on the lips at my first boy-girl middle school party. He was cute. Too bad I was gay," she laughed. "First _real_ kiss," she smiled. "You know, with a girl. I was fourteen. Natalie Vetter asked me if I wanted to go to the carnival down the street with her. We felt kind of lame, since everyone seemed either way younger or way older, so we got some cotton candy and went to chill on this bench in the back until her Dad could pick us up," she laughed, realizing how lame they really were. "I got some cotton candy stuck to my lip and she told me about it. Her eyes latched on for a moment too long, and then she said, 'you have really nice lips.' I don't know what she expected me to do," Santana shrugged. "I obviously kissed her. She kissed me back. Again and again," she laughed.

"So you were always this bold then?" Santana shrugged feigning cockiness.

"You?"

"I was thirteen. I was at my first dance and this eighth grader, Willie Shutz came over and asked me to slow dance. I said yes but I was a nervous wreck. He was so cute and had the prettiest green eyes. Afterwards, apparently all the eighth graders took their girls to diner across the street to make out. I didn't know that when I said yes, but apparently that's what I was signing up for," she laughed. "So I went. He didn't believe I'd never kissed anyone," she bragged. "Said I was a natural."

"That's for sure," Santana laughed. She paused for a moment, thinking of another question.

"Do you believe in ghosts?"

"I think so," Brittany said seriously. "But more good ghosts than bad ghosts." Santana smiled. She literally saw the good in everything in the world. She leaned down and kissed her lips.

"Because I believe in ghosts?" Brittany asked slightly confused by the kiss.

"Because you're you," Santana smiled.

"So do you believe in ghosts?"

"Not sure," she shrugged. "I've never really given it much thought."

"What was your first impression of me?" Brittany asked after a long silence. Santana smiled.

"At first, I thought you and Sam were long lost reunited siblings or something." Brittany giggled and playfully slapped her forhead. "Then you turned around," she remembered. "All I could think was, damn she's hot. I remember you ran your hands through your hair or something and I swear it looked like a movie scene." Santana laughed. "And not to sound like some horny teenage guy but your body looked unreal."

"Turns out you were just a horny teenage girl," she chuckled.

"Yeah," Santana giggled. "I didn't understand why but I had the _biggest_ urge to talk to you."Brittany smiled.

"I'm glad you did."

"What about me?"

"You were smiling at me, and I thought, this girl can't _possibly_ be looking at me," she laughed. "But when I looked back again, you were still smiling. I obviously noticed how beautiful you were then and there, I mean, I was so intimidated by how stunning you looked. But I don't think I realized my attraction to you right away. I should have, though," she laughed. "I mean my face wasn't the only part of my body that was heating up." Santana's jaw playfully dropped. Brittany sat up and twisted her body back around so she was next to Santana. She draped her legs across Santana's and the brunette used her arms to pull Brittany even closer to her. Brittany wrapped her arms around Santana's neck as Santana lifted her up a little onto her legs. Brittany leaned in and kissed her lips. They'd forgotten how cold the air around them was until the warmth of the kiss put things into perspective.

"Mm," Brittany hummed, her lips slightly parting for Santana's tongue. Santana's hands were sliding up and down Brittany's thighs.

"I love you," Santana murmured to Brittany, the girl's lips instantly turning upward. Brittany pulled away, her eyes softly glinting at Santana.

"Every time you say that, my stomach does all sort of jumps."

"I love you," Santana said playfully.

"Yup," Brittany giggled, kissing the brunette again.

The kissing lasted for quite some time until finally, they realized what it would ultimately lead to: something that couldn't be done in the freezing cold. Not comfortably, at least. Brittany nestled into Santana's chest and they laid there quietly for awhile.

"How long do you think we've been out here?" Brittany finally asked.

"Over an hour," she shrugged.

"Well," Brittany smiled, "if I had to be stuck out here with someone, I'm glad it's you."

"The feelings mutual," Santana nudged her playfully. The nudge forced Brittany's bottom to slightly roll to the left. She felt something in her pocket.

"Oh no!" She gasped as she unzipped the pocket and quickly checked the condition of her camera. She'd completely forgotten it was in there. She turned it on and her shoulders relaxed when she saw that it was still working.

"Is it okay?" Santana asked. Brittany quickly held the camera up to Santana and clicked the button, snapping a quick picture of Santana.

"Yup," she giggled.

"Stop doing that!" Santana giggled.

"Doing what?" Brittany pretended to be unaware.

"Taking pictures of me!"

"Why? Do you not like being in pictures?"

"No," Santana shook her head.

"Why not?"

"Who likes to look at themselves?" Brittany's forehead creased.

"But you're beautiful," Brittany said sincerely. Santana didn't really answer, she just sat still. Brittany suddenly stood up and the break of contact made Santana shiver.

"Wher-"

"Stay still," Brittany breathed. Santana, still sitting with her back against the ice wall, looked up at Brittany who was walking away from her. About ten feet later, Brittany turned back around and pulled out an attachable lens Santana hadn't realized came with the camera. Brittany snapped it on and suddenly looked like a professional, twisting and clicking things until she was finally ready. She pointed the camera up and Santana freaked.

"What are you doing?" She asked nervously, suddenly all too aware of how she was sitting and how her hair was falling.

"San, relax," Brittany breathed. She dropped the camera and looked into Santana's eyes. "Just look at me." Santana looked back up, Brittany's blue eyes smiling at her. She wasn't sure how the girl did it, but Santana's entire body relaxed. "See?" Brittany giggled. "You can do this. Now stay still." Santana giggled a little and before she could realize what was happening, Brittany had quickly adjusted the lens and snapped a pic. She smiled at the result and sauntered back over Santana. She squatted down beside her and held the camera out to Santana. The girl's eyes widened a little bit.

In the photo, Santana was looking up with a special glint in her eyes. A few pieces of hair were a little messy but they were blown perfectly to the right from the wind. She was laughing, her mouth slightly agape and giving the smallest glance at her tongue. She was radiating.

"See?" Brittany smiled softly.

"Yeah but I don't normally look like that in photos," Santana tried to deflect.

"This is what I see when I look at you," Brittany breathed. Santana examined the photo again. She looked beautiful. And happy. What the photo didn't show, though, was the source of the girl's happiness: Brittany. "You're beautiful."

"You're really good at taking pictures," Santana laughed a little nervously.

"Thanks," Brittany giggled. "You make it pretty easy."

"Do you like taking pictures?"

"I love it," Brittany told her. "I took photography in high school. It was one of my favorite classes."

"Really?" Santana quirked an eyebrow. She loved learning new things about Brittany.

"Mhm," Brittany grinned. "I love looking at pictures and remembering exactly how I was feeling in that moment, or guessing what someone else was feeling." Santana pointed down to her picture.

"What was I feeling?"

"Um, annoyed at me," Brittany laughed. "But I'm still too cute to actually be mad at." Santana's chest shook with laughter. "Am I right?"

"Partly," she laughed. Santana felt too corny to tell the girl what she was really feeling: in love. "Hey," Santana sat up straighter. "Do you hear that?" The sound of a snowmobile was coming closer. Brittany jumped to her feet.

"Hey!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. "Hey! Down here! Here!" Santana followed her quickly adding her own "Hey!" The noise got louder, so they assumed the rider was getting closer.

"Help!" Santana shouted. "Down here!"

"Hello!" Brittany screamed. The noise got super close before stopping completely. It sounded like they'd shut the engine off.

"Hello?" Santana called out. "We're down here!"

"Help!" Brittany called. The engine turned back on starting getting further and further away.

"Are they... leaving?" Brittany's forehead creased.

"Fuck!" Santana collapsed on the ground. Brittany sat down slowly beside her.

"We may need a plan B," she said quietly.

"Yeah," Santana let out a breathy laugh. The girls looked around for a few minutes.

"I mean, the forest has to lead somewhere, right?" Brittany asked hesitantly. She knew the forest was in the opposite direction of the trail.

"We can try to climb?" Santana tried. When they looked up at the cliff, though, they sighed. "Fuck," Santana breathed again. Both girls sat a little defeated for another minute or so before they heard it. The engine coming towards them.

"Here!" Santana jumped up. "Down here!" Brittany followed. They screamed a few more times before the noise quieted down and they spotted a hand hanging over the edge.

"Hello?" Santana called up. A man in a red patrol jacket hung over the edge. His eyes widened.

"You girls okay?" He asked concerned.

"We'll be fine if you can help us out," Santana called back. The man laughed. He clearly had a good sense of humor.

"Hang tight," he smiled as he kneeled up and out of sight, tinkering with something the girl's couldn't see.

Brittany quickly threw her arms around Santana.

"We're gonna live!" She laughed. Santana hugged her back with a giggle.

"Okay," the man shouted back. He dropped down a harness attached to a rope.

"Are we rock climbing?" Brittany asked. The man laughed lightly.

"Same idea," he grinned. "Put that on," he told them. "I'll be able to help you walk up."

"Here," Santana kneeled down and held the harness out for Brittany to step into. "You go first."

"You sure?" Brittany asked.

"Mhm, I'll be right behind you." As Santana helped Brittany get into the harness, the man disappeared to tie the end of the rope onto the snowmobile. He came back and had the rope looped through his harness with a pulley.

"Okay," he started. "I'm gonna walk backwards and you should start to feel some tension in the rope. When you do, press your feet against the wall and crouch down. Use your weight and lean back. You can start walking up it and I'll help pull you up. Easy!" He smiled. "You ready?" Brittany nodded. The man nodded back and started walking backwards.

"See you in a minute," Santana smiled as she gave Brittany a soft kiss.

The rope tightened and soon Brittany was walking up the wall. A few minutes later and both her and Santana had been rescued.

The girl's hopped on the back of the patrol's snowmobile and headed back down the trail. They explained what had happened and Geoff, they learned his name was, laughed, explaining that it definitely wasn't the first time he'd rescued someone from that area.

"Then maybe you should put up some fricking caution tape or something," Santana rolled her eyes. Geoff smiled and explained some dumb reasoning about it ruining nature. Plus, apparently where the girl's had ended up wasn't apart of the many acres they were supposed to be exploring.

When they made it back to the beginning of the trail, Mr. and Mrs. Pierce were chatting with Antony and Christine while Lincoln made a snow angel beneath them. Santana and Brittany thanked Geoff before he turned back to work on rescuing their snowmobile.

"Girls!" Mrs. Pierce called. "Where on Earth are your helmets?"

"Back at the bottom of the cliff with our crashed snowmobile," Brittany laughed.

"Brittany Pierce!" Her mother shouted as she smothered her in a hug. "Are you okay?" She grabbed her head. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she smiled. Her Mom's face suddenly turned stern as she playfully hit the side of Brittany's head.

"You dummy!" She said.

"I'm sorry," Brittany smiled as Antony walked closer to Santana to check on her. "We're okay! We just ended up going off a jump that didn't lead anywhere great. We we're stranded for awhile, but we're good now. The snowmobile," she faded off, "not so much."

Her mother kissed her head a few times.

"Thank goodness you girls are okay." She moved on to hug Santana.

"Not to rush this," Mr. Pierce started, "but reservations are in a little less than two hours, so if you guys want to shower we should probably head out."

Brittany took Santana by the hand and pulled her ahead of everyone else.

"You know," she started, "if you hadn't been with me I'm pretty sure my Mom would have killed me back there." Santana laughed.

"Does this kind of stuff happen a lot with you?" Brittany grinned.

"Define _a lot._" Santana rolled her eyes as Brittany giggled. "I'm just glad to have someone to share it with now." Santana's butterflies multiplied.

"My pleasure."

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

**Hey guys! Since the story is nearing an end I've been trying to add length to their days together to prolong the ending per your request. I still have a few chapters left. **

**Thanks so much for the love! **

**Xoxo**


	24. Chapter 24

Brittany waited anxiously, her hands fiddling nervously on her napkin. Her father eyed her, his mouth hidden behind his ice water.

"Be patient," he smiled. "They'll be down soon." Brittany nodded in synch with her bouncing. She'd been with Santana all day but the time they'd spent apart getting ready for dinner had been brutal. She'd thought about the girl the entire time.

"You look beautiful," Mr. Pierce said, almost breathless. No matter how old his baby girl was, she'd always be just that to him: her baby girl. It always amazed him how grown up she could appear. Brittany blushed and rolled her eyes.

"Thank you, Dad," she let out a breathy laugh. "For the tenth time," she mumbled. Ever since she'd walked out of the bathroom, he hadn't stopped complimenting her. She'd worn her reddish-coral dress-for Christmas, obviously- and left her hair slightly wavy. The dress had a high neckline but was extremely tight. The material wasn't constricting though, so Brittany hardly noticed how good her figure looked. It hugged her tightly all the way down to just below where her fingertips fell. Her make up was light, just enough to make her lips pop. Her hair looked perfectly messy, falling over her left side.

"Why are you so nervous?" Mrs. Pierce asked Brittany clearly amused.

"I'm not nervous," Brittany spat back quickly, her face reddening. Her Mom giggled a little.

"Your father's right, for once," she joked. "You look stunning. I'm sure Santana will agree." Brittany couldn't put a finger on why she was so nervous, but deep deep down she had a feeling it was stemming from the eminent feeling of everything coming to an end.

"Speaking of," Mr. Pierce stood up as Antony, Christine, and-Dear God-Santana approached the table. As soon as Brittany's eyes locked on Santana, she was sure her lungs had collapsed. The air around her was gone. She didn't realize it, but Santana was feeling the same way.

Brittany got onto her feet, her eyes falling down Santana's body. Her strapless black dress, which Brittany assumed was leather, fit the girl perfectly. It wasn't too tight, making it look more sophisticated, but it didn't have to be skin tight to hug all of her assets perfectly. Brittany's heart was racing as her eyes traced all of Santana's outlines. Her hair was straight and parted to the side, her black eye makeup and nude lip giving her a natural glow.

"Hi," Santana breathed, her eyes meandering over Brittany until they finally landed back on her eyes.

"You look-" they both started at the same time, quickly cutting both of them off with a giggle. Brittany nervously pulled Santana in for a hug. When they pulled away, she planned to lean in to kiss her but the sight of Santana up close stopped her.

"Woah," she mumbled beneath her breath. Santana's eyes glistened as her tongue ran over her bottom lip. She slowly closed the gap between their mouths, softly taking Brittany's thinner lip between her two. When she pulled away, Santana was left fighting for her breath.

"You look so beautiful," Brittany said before she could think about anything else.

"So do you," Santana smiled. The girl's realized a few sets of eyes on them and quickly took their seats, Santana next to Brittany and across from Mrs. Pierce, who was busy catching up with Christine.

"Merry Christmas, 'tana," Lincoln smiled from the other side of Brittany.

"You too, Lincoln," she laughed at his cute attempt to say her name. She'd always hated how people had trouble pronouncing her name, but coming from him it was adorable.

"You look pretty," he blushed. Santana's eyebrows shot up as she giggled softly.

"And you look extra handsome." The blonde boy looked down at his lap.

"Hey, listen!" Santana's hand landed on Brittany's thigh, making her body tense up a little. Santana didn't notice. "This song was playing when we put the lights up." The Maroon 5 song was being played on the piano somewhere across the room. Santana sat up straighter and found, past multiple tables, a packed dance floor next to a grand piano. Brittany smiled, her hand landing on top of Santana's.

"I missed you," Brittany whispered as she leaned into Santana's ear. The girl's lips immediately turned upwards.

"I missed you too," she giggled.

"Santana," Mrs. Pierce smiled. "How are you feeling? Are you hurt at all?" Brittany's Mom had pretty much grilled her for the past hour about every detail from their accident. She sat on the toilet while Brittany was showering just so she could quiz Brittany on every detail from her childhood to make sure she wasn't concussed. Brittany was sure she'd assured her mother that Santana wasn't injured, but apparently she had to hear it for herself.

"I'm alright," Santana smiled softly. Brittany's Mom was the sweetest and clearly not judgmental at all, but Santana couldn't wash away the overwhelming need to impress her. She desperately wanted her approval. "Brittany pulled me off just in time," she nodded to the girl. Mrs. Pierce let out a soft laugh.

"Yeah, she's gotten quite good in situations like that." Brittany grinned. "My little dare devil," she rolled her eyes. Santana giggled. It looked like Mrs. Pierce was about to ask Santana another question when the waiter politely interrupted. He filled everyone's glass with water as he explained how the meal would work. It was family style, like a home cooked meal, and they would be bringing the roast out to the center of the table. They'd also bring along with it a bowl of salad and sides of mashed potatoes, a variety of vegetables, rolls, cranberries, plus a handful of other surprises. Santana's eyes widened a little, since the meal sounded more homey than anything she'd ever had for Christmas dinner.

"So Santana," Mrs. Pierce smiled softly across the table. Brittany gave Santana's thigh an apologetic squeeze. "We haven't really gotten the chance to talk much, what with Brittany stealing you away all the time," she laughed. Santana liked how comfortable she made her feel. She didn't make conversation feel like it did with other parents. "She tells me you're at Kenyon, right?" She squinted.

"Mhm," Santana confirmed.

"That's a wonderful school," she smiled, clearly impressed. "What are you studying?"

"Creative Writing," she smiled.

"Oh that's great! Do you know if you want to write novels or short stories or movies?"

"Anything really," she told her. "I really just love to write. I'm hoping to get the chance to do at least one novel and at least one script. I'd love to write for a TV show, too." Mrs. Lopez smiled.

"So that's why you wanted to find her a nice journal," she smiled to Brittany. Brittany nodded sheepishly, unsure if it was okay that her mother knew details about their relationship. She relaxed when Santana didn't falter.

"It's beautiful," Santana added. Mrs. Pierce agreed.

"So do you like to journal or is it just ideas for stories?"

"Oh no I journal a lot," she confessed. The woman had the same qualities her daughter possessed. She was making it impossibly easy for Santana to say things she'd usually hate admitting.

"I used to love journaling," Mrs. Pierce confessed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Brittany's eyes widen a little. "I'm thinking about getting back into it, actually. It's very therapeutic."

"It really is," Santana nodded.

"You journaled?" Brittany chimed in.

"I have a journal from every year from from seventh grade on all the way through college. Once I started working, though, I think I thought I didn't have time. I wish I'd made some. Have you ever read over some of your stuff?" She asked Santana with a smile.

"I hate reading my recent stuff," she laughed thinking about it. "It makes me anxious or something." Mrs. Pierce joined her laughter.

"I feel the same way," she grinned. "But now I'm so thankful for it. Reading over my seventh grade times reminds me of these memories I thought were lost."

"You still have them?" Brittany's voice beamed in.

"Of course," she smiled. "I can show you them when we get home. They're pretty embarrassing, though."

"That's how I feel," Santana laughed. "You either laugh at yourself for being so dramatic or cry from the memories, happy or sad."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Mrs. Pierce laughed.

Brittany's eyes fell between the two most important women in her life. She loved that it took the two of them being together for her to learn something she'd never known about her mother.

"How come you never tried to get me into writing?" Brittany asked curiously. Mrs. Pierce chuckled.

"I did, don't you remember? You have some journals from first grade. Every day is a new crush. Jimmy, Eric, Grace," she giggled. Brittany blushed at the early hint or her bisexuality.

"Brit!" San squealed as she nudged her playfully.

"I think I started you too early," Mrs. Pierce told her. "If I had waited until middle school to encourage you, maybe it would have stuck better," she shrugged. Brittany shrugged back not pondering on the subject much longer. She was stuck on the fact that Santana and her Mother were getting along so well.

"So Santana, how have you liked the lodge?"

"Oh, it's amazing," she told her. "I didn't expect to like it this much."

"I don't think anybody does," she laughed. "It's a great place."

Once the food was out, conversation subsided for awhile as everyone made their plates. Santana was quieter than Brittany had ever seen her and from the looks of it it definitely had something to do with the food. Santana was scarfing it down.

"Slow down," Brittany giggled.

"It's so fricking good," she told her. The light clinging of a glass made the girl's look to the head of the table. Mr. Pierce held his wine glass slightly in the air in his left hand. Once he was sure he was holding everyone's attention he cleared his throat.

"I just wanted to thank you all for joining us, Christine, Antony and Santana. For us, Christmas has always been about family and about love and right now I can feel this table overflowing with both." His eyes flickered first to his wife who was grinning up at him, the love still clearly present. Then he gave a nice look to Antony and Christine whose hands were latched together on top of the table. Lastly, Robert looked down at his daughter who was too enamored to be looking back. Her eyes were locked on her girlfriend's, her hand tightly intertwined with the brunette's.

Mr. Pierce clinked his glass with all the adult's and they all took a sip.

"You done?" Brittany whispered eying Santana's plate. Santana wasn't sure at first, but the enthusiasm in Brittany's eyes convinced her.

"Mhm."

"We're gonna go dance," Brittany announced and her mother smiled in acknowledgment. Santana's heart stopped. She'd danced with Brittany before- granted, alone in a room without music- but the thought of trying to keep up with the blonde was a little intimidating. She was grateful there was only slow music playing. Either way, it wasn't like she was going to pass up a chance to be close to Brittany.

Brittany took Santana's hand and maneuvered her through the tables and onto the dance floor. Once Brittany made it to the center, she turned to face Santana, her free arm immediately wrapping around Santana's neck. She rested that hand on the back of Santana's shoulder. She pulled their intertwined hand and lifted it upward a little, pulling their bodies closer together. Santana let her free hand fall onto the small of Brittany's back. With their respective heel sizes, Brittany was only slightly taller. The piano was playing a song Santana didn't recognize but it was soft and slow and perfect.

"You look incredible," Brittany told her again, her eyes flitting all over Santana's face.

"Thanks," Santana blushed.

"No, I mean, every time I see you you suprise me. I didn't think it was even possible for you to look even hotter, but you totally do." Santana giggled a little at Brittany's words.

"You too," she smiled. "I mean seriously, that dress." Santana's eyes scanned down Brittany's body. "If I didn't already know what was under there my mind would be going _crazy_," she smirked with a giggle. "Seriously though," she smiled. "You look beautiful. And that color's incredible."

"Matches my bracelet," Brittany grinned, momentarily moving her arm from behind Santana's neck to show her the slightly darker shade of red wrapped around her wrist. Santana couldn't take the cuteness anymore and leaned in to press her lips against Brittany's. The girl's arm found it's way back to behind her neck before Santana was pulling away.

"I love dancing with you," Brittany confessed as the girl's took a step to the left.

"Me too," Santana agreed. "Luckily for both of us this is the extent of it," she swayed. "I wouldn't have a shot in hell to keep up otherwise."

"Are you kidding?" Brittany's eyebrows narrowed. "I saw you with Quinn," she smirked. "You don't have to worry about keeping up with me." Santana's face began to redden. "You'll see," she said as her smirk returned.

"Hm?" Santana asked slightly confused. She liked their faces being this close in such a semi-casual manner.

"You'll see," she repeated herself. "On New Year's Eve. There's plenty of dancing then. Mix in a little bit of champagne," she wiggled her eyebrows making Santana giggle. Santana rested her head down against Brittany's shoulder for a moment as her laughter calmed down.

"My Mom loves you," Brittany breathed in her ear. A warmth washed over Santana.

"She's awesome," Santana replied lazily.

"I never knew she was into writing," Brittany confessed.

"Really?"

"Mhm." Santana lifted her head off from Brittany's shoulder and met her eyes, momentarily breathless from the sight. "Are you having fun?" Brittany asked. Santana smiled, her tongue showing slightly through her teeth. She nodded before becoming slightly more serious.

"Brit, thank you for this." When Brittany gave her a questioning look she continued. "You know, finally giving me a Christmas I'll never forget. For a good reason," she laughed. "And for letting me feel like apart of your family," she said weakly. Before she could say anymore Brittany's lips were against hers.

"Merry Christmas baby," Brittany breathed softly, her lips wide in a smile. The way Brittany said "baby" made Santana's insides burn. She leaned back into her, Brittany eliciting a hum as their lips collided. Brittany suddenly pulled away with a devilish smile.

"What do you say we disappear for a little?" She husked. Santana quirked an eyebrow at her as Brittany's hands ran down her sides. That was way to hard to say no to, not that she was even considering it. In the split second Brittany thought Santana needed persuasion, she snuck her lips into the crook of her neck to give her a soft kiss. Santana shuddered as she let out a light hum.

"Y-yeah," Santana managed. "Wh-where?"

"Your room?" Brittany whispered. Santana nodded quickly.

"Let me just go get my key," she said as she started back towards the table. Brittany quickly snatched her wrist.

"No!" She stopped her. "I've got my key," she pointed down to her bra where the key was strategically stashed. "They'll stop us," Brittany explained. She knew her parents. They'd want to order dessert or have some family discussion, both of which could wait until _after_ whatever her and Santana were about to do. Brittany quickly slid her fingers into Santana's and pulled her out the back exit. The girls practically sprinted to the elevator, made out the entire ride up, and resumed sprinting to Brittany's room. The halls were completely empty, everyone most likely out for Christmas dinner. As soon as Brittany swiped the key into the door, Santana pushed her through the door straight backwards until she slammed into the wall. Santana pressed her body against Brittany's as her lips crashed into the girl. Santana's hands frantically slid up and down Brittany's sides as Brittany's ran through her hair.

"Mmm," Brittany moaned as Santana's tongue slide ran over her lower lip. Brittany's arms wrapped around Santana's neck as she pulled her closer, Santana's hips pressing further into the girl's center. Santana could tell Brittany needed air so she pulled her lips off of the girl's and placed them on her neck. She felt Brittany shudder as the blonde adjusted her thigh so it was in between Santana's legs.

"S-san."

"Hm," she breathed in between a kiss.

"Bed," Brittany demanded. Santana gripped her by her waist and backed her up a few feet to push her sideways down onto the bed.

"No," Brittany practically yelped as Santana lowered her body onto the girl. Santana quickly sat up clearly perplexed. Brittany sat up and took a deep breath.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "Just, this is my parents bed," she made a disgusted face. Santana giggled as Brittany stood up. Before Santana could register what was happening Brittany had scooped her into her arms like a baby. Santana instinctually wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck to stay balanced as Brittany rushed her through the open doorway to the made bed in the next room. It was Brittany's bed, but since the girl had been spending all her time at Santana's, it hadn't been put to much use as of late. Brittany gently dropped Santana onto the bed as her legs straddled the girl's hips. She quickly reattached their lips with a yearning hum. Santana's hands found the girl's ass as her hips started rolling upward.

"God," Santana husked as Brittany's body slid down her own. Brittany's hands began sliding up under her dress as she did her best to lift it upward. Santana arched her back and since the dress wasn't completely skin tight Brittany was able to make some progress.

"You look so fucking hot tonight," Brittany told her, the vulgarity in her voice strangely turning Santana on. The dress slid up Santana's core revealing just above her belly button. Brittany's lips landed on her exposed skin, her hands framing the kisses. Santana's insides were pulsing as the blonde kissed lower and lower. Over the girl's underwear, she planted a soft kiss right on Santana's sex.

"F-fuck," she mumbled as she arched her back upward. Brittany slid back up a little, her tongue gliding right along the waistband. Right as her thumbs were about to pull her underwear down, Brittany jolted off the girl at the sound of a door closing. Both of their eyes jumped open at the clicking noise. It only took Brittany a half a second to react as she quickly lifted Santana's back up and yanked the dress down as best as she could. She pushed off her arms to slide herself up to Santana's side. The girls held their breath as they heard footsteps getting closer. Their eyes widened when Mrs. Pierce stepped through the door, her eyes down at the tiny pill bottle in her hands. All at once, she looked up, spotted the girls and let out a huge yelp.

"Oh my gosh!" She breathed quickly, her hand shooting up to her heart. "You scared me," she said before she could process what was happening. "Oh gosh," her eyes widened again, her hand now in front of her eyes. "I-I'm sorry, I- I didn't know you were-I forgot my pills-" she stopped suddenly. "What are you doing up here?"

Santana felt like she was going to throw up. She wanted Mrs. Pierce to like her, not think she was some sex crazed teenager that couldn't keep her hands of off the woman's daughter for ten minutes.

"We- sorry," Brittany said surprisingly calm. "I just wanted to be alone with Santana for a few minutes," she explained. "There was a lot going on downstairs." Mrs. Pierce briefly eyed the two girls before sighing.

"I get it," she smiled. "You're Dad was looking for you though," she explained. Brittany's eyes widened slightly. "Don't worry," she added. "I won't tell him where you were. Just hurry back downstairs," she told them as she began stepping away. "Oh, and both of you," she added with a small smile, "fix your hair."

Santana was pretty sure she was on fire. As soon as she was positive the door was closed, her hands shot up to cover her face.

"Oh my God," she breathed.

"I'm sorry," Brittany laughed nervously. "I didn't expect her to forget her meds she remembered to bring to dinner every other night this trip." Brittany sat up, her hand landing hesitantly on top of Santana's. "I'm really sorry," she said quietly. "I really didn't mean for that to happen."

"I know, I know," Santana finally smiled. "It's fine. I just don't want her to hate me."

"Are you kidding?" Brittany laughed. "She's interrupted me and Sam in some sort of intimate moment multiples times. Plus, I don't think she's ever been that cool about it."

"Really?" Santana couldn't help but smile.

"I mean, she never scolded me in front or anything. At least not in front of him, but she'd never been relaxed enough about it to make a joke like that," she laughed. "Your hair _is_ pretty messy," Brittany laughed.

"Look who's talking," Santana laughed back at Brittany's disheveled hair.

"Santana," Brittany said seriously once their laughter subsided. "I promise you, nobody that loves me could not like someone that makes me this happy." Santana melted at her words and then again from her kiss.

"I think we better get back down there before our Dad's notice," Brittany said sheepishly as she tugged at the nape of her neck.

"Yeah, I think so," Santana agreed.

After a quick touch up of some slightly smudged eye makeup the girls both ran a brush through their hair and headed back downstairs. They snuck back through the back door and pretended to come from the dance floor.

"Ah they're you are," Mr. Pierce smiled. "Let's go!" The entire table rose to their feet and followed Mr. Pierce out the room.

"Where are we going?" Santana whispered to Brittany.

"Oh," she remembered. "We do this every year, but it's usually a lot later after desert and everything." Just as Brittany was about to explain, Mrs. Pierce walked up beside her. "Mom why are we going now?" She asked. "Did we miss dessert?" The allusion to Brittany and Santana being upstairs made Santana's face heat up.

"No," Mrs. Pierce smiled. "He's decided to combine the two some how."

"Oh," Brittany smiled pleasantly surprised.

When they entered the lobby it was nearly vacant. An employee smiled politely as he held the door open for Mr. Pierce. What appeared to be a smaller version of the lobby was set up through the doors. A few small couches placed around the giant Christmas Tree. There was a fireplace beside it with a table full of treats in front of it. The couches were arranged in a circle to face each other. Santana followed as everyone took a seat. Mr. Pierce began pouring out the hot chocolates as he placed them in front of everyone.

"Daddy!" Lincoln called. "Put the candy cane in mine!" Mr. Pierce walked over to the tree and took a candy cane down from a branch, unwrapped it, and stuck it in Lincoln's hot chocolate.

"Okay," he started. "So every year," he explained to Santana and Antony, "we come in here and have this sort of quiet time to give thanks, pray, think, whatever each individual wants to do." He didn't want to force religion onto people who might not want it, but it was Christmas after all. Antony smiled and Mr. Pierce took a seat next to his wife. He took her hand in his stronger one and took a deep, shaky breath.

"This past year hasn't been by any means perfect," he looked up at Samanth,a his still beautiful wife, with a sad smile. "But there's still so much to be thankful for. No matter what challenges we face in life," he breathed shakily, "if you look at it the right way, you can always find some sort of good in it." Santana watched his hand tighten around Mrs. Pierce's and Santana instinctually reached out to lay hers on Brittany's. "It's all about how we look at things. We can choose to hate how unfair life is, or we can appreciate as much of it as we can. The bad doesn't have to outweigh the good. That's what Sam's taught me," he smiled at his wife who had water welling up in her eyes. "And for that I'm forever grateful." Santana looked up at Brittany whose eyes matched her Mother's. Santana squeezed Brittany's hand. Mr. Pierce cleared his throat and started again, his voice less shaky then before. "So just take some time to think about all the good things life brings and be thankful and happy," he smiled. "Then we can eat and laugh and take pictures and tell stories," he laughed lightly as everyone joined him.

Santana had never felt so apart of something before. As everyone sat their quietly for a few minutes, she felt like she belonged. There was truly no place else in the world she'd rather be, and for that she was grateful.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"Only four minutes left," Brittany breathed as she looked at the clock. Santana lifted her head from Brittany's bare chest to check the time. 11:56. In four minutes, Christmas would officially be over.

"I can't believe someone got me to love Christmas."

"Love?" Brittany sang. "Ooh."

"Shut up," Santana rolled her eyes.

"What was your favorite part of today?" Brittany asked.

"Hm," Santana breathed as she remembered the entire day.

"Mine was getting stranded with you. No," she corrected. "I take that back. Mine was the letter for sure."

"I think mine was dessert," Santana said seriously.

"That chocolate mousse was delicious."

"No," Santana giggled. "I mean the whole quiet time thing."

"Oh yeah," Brittany agreed. "I always love that."

"Your parents are amazing."

"Mhm," she agreed lazily as her fingers tickled down Santana's hair. "Hey San?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"What did you say you were thankful for?"

"I tried to think about everything that'd happened this year, but honestly," she breathed, "I could only think about this past month." Brittany's hand stopped tracing patterns on Santana's hair as she waited for the brunette to continue. "I kept thinking about how thankful I was I came here. You know, to meet you. Normally, my mind would be so fucking pessimistic and go straight to the fact that we're leaving in less than a week." With her ear still against Brittany's chest, Santana could feel the blonde's heart skip a full beat. "But after what your Dad said, I was trying to be positive." Santana lifted herself slightly off of Brittany's chest and rested herself on her forearm so she was looking into Brittany's eyes. "This distance is gonna suck," Santana admitted, her heart racing. They had yet to directly address the eminent departure and thinking about it made them both feel ill. "But what I realized tonight is I'd rather be a million miles away from you and completely in love with you than to live in blissful unawareness of your existence. Just knowing you're out there makes me happy, and I really do think that I'd wait the rest of my life just to get the chance to be with you again." Brittany's body almost shut down right then an there. The only thing she could feel was the tiny tear slipping out of her right eye. Santana's thumb wiped under Brittany's eye. "Babe, don't cry," she smiled softly.

"You're perfect," she breathed. Santana leaned in and gave her a soft whisper of a kiss. Brittany's eyes flickered over to the clock as she let out a breathy laugh. "It's not Christmas anymore."

"365 days left till next year," Santana joked. Brittany giggled softly.

"Hopefully we'll be right here when it comes," Brittany sighed into Santana's hair. They fell into a comfortable silence before Santana spoke up.

"Hey B, what were you thankful for?" She asked curiously.

"I'm much simpler than you," she laughed. Santana laughed sarcastically.

"So what'd you say?"

"You."

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

**Hey guys I'm sorry again for the tiny wait, the weeks have been hectic with life getting in the way and all. Anyway, thank you so much for still reading this. Let me know what you think! xx**


	25. Chapter 25

"Don't you love it?" Antony held out his brand new silver money clip, a gift from Christine. Inscribed on it was _Antony Lopez_.

"Mhm," Santana said halfheartedly, hardly looking up from her lunch.

"And Christine is taking _me _out tonight," he said animatedly. "She won't tell me where! It's a surprise!"

"Mhm," she said again, her voice monotone.

"Santana," Antony breathed.

"Mhm."

"Santana!" He berated. Santana's fork clinked against the plate as it slipped out of her hand. She jumped awake.

"What?" she said bashfully as her eyes flickered around the room to make sure no one watching.

"You've said nothing but _mhm_," he mocked "for the past ten minutes."

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"Did something happen last night?" He asked softly.

"What?" Her face scrunched up. "No, no. Last night was perfect," Santana smiled. Antony eyed his daughter for a moment before hesitantly returning her soft smile.

"I'm really glad you finally got a Christmas you deserve," he said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Dad," Santana sighed. "You gave me plenty of great Christmases," she promised him. "I was just being too stubborn to enjoy them." He let out a breathy laugh.

"So what's up then?" He changed the subject back. "Why're you so down?" The more Santana thought about it, the dumber it sounded. "Santana," he sighed, his voice softer than before. "It's been what, a few hours? What's gonna happen at the end of the week when we gotta go home?"

"Dad," she breathed.

"San, I'm serious. I know it's gonna be hard. Heck, you think _I_ don't know that? I'm not happy about being away from Christine either. But we're gonna have to keep our lives going. We can't just shut down."

"I know, I know," she mumbled.

Brittany's Mom and Christine had planned to visit Christine's sister today. She lived outside the village, about an hour drive from the Lodge. Christine's sister had requested to see Brittany, since she hadn't seen her sister's goddaughter in two years. Both Christine and Mrs. Pierce invited Santana along but the girl thought Brittany should spend some quality time with her Mom. Every time Santana remembered Mrs. Pierce's situation, she felt awful for stealing time away from the two. This was Brittany's break, after all, and she'd be headed back to school shorty. On top of that, this was Antony's arranged time with Santana, so she felt bad not hanging out with him at all over the past month. Plus, Santana thought a few hours apart wouldn't be that bad. Two hours into their departure and she was desperately regretting her decision.

"Distance isn't an easy thing," he started again, "but I promise you it's not impossible."

"Dad you're old!" Santana snapped. "It's different for you! You and Christine, you have different needs than Brit and I." Santana quickly realized her tone and stopped rambling. "S-sorry," she whispered. Her Dad nodded sympathetically at her. "I just, we're so young," she breathed. "I mean, I don't doubt how I feel at all. Her either, I mean, I know she cares. But have you seen her?" Santana's voice cracked as she looked into her Dad's soft eyes. "She's _perfect_. Everything about her is attractive. _Everything. _You know how many people are probably after her every day? And I'm _me!_ No, I'm _me _practically five hundred miles away. You of all people know how quickly feelings can change," she whispered. She didn't mean to bring her father's heartbreak into this. "Sorry," she mumbled again.

"It's okay," he said softly, offering up a tiny smile. "San," he breathed as he paused to wait for his daughter to look back up at him. "I'm not just saying this because I'm your father. You're just as amazing. Even if you don't see it, Brittany does," he promised her. "I've seen the way she looks at you. When you walked in last night," he remembered, "her face," he smiled. "I really don't think you have to worry so much. You're a smart girl, Santana. I don't think you'd fall so hard for someone who wasn't totally worth it."

Santana let out a shaky breath.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I'm just stressed."

"I know honey. Try to enjoy these last few days with her. And if you're gonna lash out at someone," he laughed, "please let it be me."

"Will do," she laughed.

"What do you say we go catch that movie?" Santana nodded as she made it onto her feet. Her father draped his arm around her shoulder as they headed off to the theater. Not one part of Santana wanted to watch Star Wars for the third time, but she knew it was the easiest way to kill a few hours. If Santana timed it correctly, the movie plus a shower would have her meeting up with Brittany in the lobby in no time.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

Brittany wearily made her way into the lobby, her eyelids heavy. She was alone. Samantha and Christine had dropped her off before they'd gone to return the rental car. The knew Santana was waiting for the girl and quite frankly, they knew Brittany needed her.

The moment the blonde spotted Santana on the lobby's couch, her eyelids lightened up. Santana rose to her feet and took a step forward.

"Hey!" Santana could barely keep her excitement inside of her. As she got closer to the blonde though, she realized realized the girl wasn't quite herself.

"Hey," Brittany smiled back.

"You okay?" Santana said softly as she pulled the girl into a hug. Brittany immediately took relief in Santana's arms.

"Yeah," Brittany answered weakly. "Just tired," she finally pulled away. She tried to offer her best smile to Santana but even that was hard. "I missed you," she said honestly.

"I missed you too," Santana smiled. "You sure you're feeling alright?" Santana asked once more. Brittany just nodded, her hand still lingering in Santana's. "You wanna go grab some ice cream?"

"Yeah," Brittany nodded again, her smile appearing a little more genuine. Santana tightened her hand around Brittany's and lead her towards the ice cream parlor.

"How was it?" Santana asked cautiously. Brittany shrugged.

"It was alright. It was good to see Jenny." Santana assumed that was Christine's sister and nodded. Santana couldn't completely gauge what was wrong but she knew Brittany wasn't really in the talking mood. They stayed silent the rest of the walk. As soon as they made it to the parlor, Santana rolled her eyes when she spotted Greg, the flirty ice-cream man.

"Brittany!" He smiled. "Hi! Haven't seen much of you lately. Hey," he smiled politely at Santana. She quickly shot him a look that shut him up. "Um," he swallowed nervously, not quite sure what he'd done. "So what can I get you." Brittany leaned down into Santana's ear and whispered, "Can we get it to go?"

"Yeah, of course."

"I'll just have a mint-chocolate chip on a cone," Brittany said. Greg looked at Santana and she stared down at the flavors.

"Cookie dough for me," she finally decided. He held up a cone and she nodded. As Greg turned to make the cones, Santana turned to Brittany.

"You wanna take the night off?" She asked cautiously. "I mean, if you need some space or-"

"No," Brittany quickly shook her head. "No, can we just head back to your room."

"Of course," she repeated herself.

"I'm sorry," Brittany mumbled clearly embarrassed. "I just-"

"Brit, it's fine," Santana cut her off. "We can talk about it in a minute," she said softly. Brittany nodded thankfully as Greg finished up the cones. Santana handed the guy a ten dollar bill, grabbed the cones, and walked away without bothering to wait for any change. She handed Brittany her cone and they made their way upstairs.

They stayed quiet the entire way upstairs, both girls finishing nearly half of their cones. Santana silently unlocked her door and the girls slid inside the dark room. She flicked on the still hanging Christmas lights and face Brittany. She looked completely worn out.

"Do you wanna take a nap?" Santana asked her. It was getting late, so technically she would just be going to sleep, but Santana didn't want to say the wrong thing.

"Do you mind if I take a quick shower?" Brittany asked softly. Brittany couldn't explain it but she felt like a shower would wash some of her unwanted emotions away.

"Sure," Santana said softly. "I'll get you some close and bring them in there. Go ahead." Before Brittany fully turned away, she turned back to give Santana a small kiss on the cheek, a gesture that immediately relaxed Santana.

"Thank you," Brittany mumbled. Santana gave her a soft smile as the blonde disappeared into the bathroom.

Santana grabbed a loose t-shirt and a pair of her largest, comfy sweatpants and placed them next to the bathroom sink. Then she headed back into the room to wait for the girl.

A few minutes later, Brittany walked out of the bathroom in Santana's clothes. Her combed hair had been made to look messy after being towel dried. Santana quickly sat up when she heard her footsteps.

"You feeling a little better?" She smiled lightly. Brittany returned it with a nod.

"A little, yeah." She climbed onto the bed and crawled towards Santana. Santana sat up halfway against the backboard to let Brittany nestle into her. She wrapped her arm around the blonde's back as Brittany hugged Santana's stomach.

"How was your day?" Brittany asked suddenly feeling like shit for not asking sooner.

"Eh, it was okay. I missed you too much," she said as she kissed the top of Brittany's head. As soon as she said it, she noticed Brittany tense up. "Babe," she whispered. "What's wrong? You sure you're okay?" Brittany nodded and stayed silent. Santana didn't want to push her so she didn't say anything else. She just rubbed Brittany's back softly as she kept her lips pressed to her blonde hair. Silence filled the room for over five minutes. Santana was actually positive Brittany was sleeping and she prepared to pull the covers over the girl.

"Jenny's boyfriend just died from cancer," her voice broke. It was Santana's turn to tense up now. "Two months ago."

"I'm so sorry," Santana breathed.

"I didn't even know he was sick. Three months after his diagnosis. That's all he lasted." Brittany was speaking terribly slow and Santana was sure a tear had already escaped her. She tightened her arms around the girl. "It just makes it not so surreal anymore, you know?" Santana was at a loss for words but Brittany hadn't expected her to say anything. "You never think you're _really_ gonna lose someone until it happens. Right now, though-" Brittany's voice cracked as tears began streaming.

"Brit," Santana cooed. "You can't think like that."

"How can you _not?_" Brittany snapped. Her tone was harsher than Santana had ever heard it but given the circumstances it didn't phase her at all.

"I don't know," Santana admitted feebly. "Honestly, you've been much stronger with this whole thing than I could ever be. But I think that's what your Mom needs right now. Positivity."

"I know," Brittany shook in the girl's arms. Her chest was quickly rising and falling as choppy breaths escaped her lips.

All at once, Santana watched Brittany break. Her face loosened as water poured from her eyes. Her chest was heaving and she turned her body over to cry directly into Santana's chest. Santana could hear her trying to get something out, but every time she started her sobbing took over. Finally, after a minute of hysteria, she lifted her face up just enough for Santana to make out her angry and fractured words.

"Why is everyone I love being ripped away from me! First my Mom and now you!" Santana felt her heart break right there.

"Babe," Santana tried to get the girl's attention, her hand softly resting under Brittany's chin. She adjusted herself so Brittany gently slid down her chest. "Brit, please," Santana had tears welling up in her eyes but she did her best to stifle them. Brittany finally looked up at Santana, her eyes swollen and bloodshot, her lip trembling. Santana took Brittany's face into her hands, her thumbs wiping away water under each eye. "Your Mom isn't going anywhere," she said sternly. The sincerity with which she said it actually made Brittany believe it. She let Santana's deep brown eyes pierce hers for a moment before she nodded.

"W-what about you?" She asked softly, the strain in her voice more evident than ever. Santana's eyes narrowed for a moment.

"Brit, is that what's bothering you?" Brittany's eyes fell down as she gave Santana a weak nod. Before Santana could console her Brittany cut her off.

"These past few hours sucked-"

"I know," Santana nodded.

"No. I mean it sucked in general but I hated being away from you for that long. I can't even imagine _actually_ being away from you, not being able to hold you. I can't-"

"Brit," Santana tried to stop her but the girl continued.

"You're a _bombshell_," Brittany told her, tears still falling. "You know how many people would _die_ to be with you. And when I'm not there to remind you of what we have, how do I know I won't lose you?"

"Because I _love_ you!" Santana was trying not to get defensive or show her similar concerns. "Nobody else is going to even make me feel _half_ of what I feel for you, whether your in my arms or four hundred miles away. That's not even that far," Santana tried to convince herself.

"I just don't want to miss you," Brittany sniffled.

"Well I don't know if that's possible," Santana tried to lighten the mood with a laugh. Brittany gave her a tiny giggle.

"Santana," She said more seriously. "What are we gonna do?" She sighed, laying her head back down onto Santana's chest. Santana sat up making Brittany fall off her. The blonde sat up and scooched closer to Santana as she crossed her legs.

"Brit, do you wanna be with me? I mean after all of this, do you still want to be my girlfriend?"

"Wh- of course," Brittany replied, her hand landing on Santana's thigh. "Of course," she said surely.

"And I want to be with you," Santana reassured the girl. "So we're gonna be together," she smiled. "It won't be easy. But we'll have our phones. We can text all day, call all night. We'll Skype everyday, even if only for a minute. That's a rule," Santana said as she took Brittany's hands in her own. "And we'll visit as much as we can. How about this: we can't go a month without seeing each other."

"Three weeks," Brittany corrected her with a tiny smile.

"Three weeks," Santana agreed. "We will never go three weeks without seeing each other," Santana stated as she held out her pinky for Brittany to link with. Brittany locked their pinkies and repeated the sentence. The girls sealed the promise with a kiss.

"Still sucks," Brittany sighed.

"More than anything," Santana agreed. "Promise me this," Santana started. "These next few days, lets try not to think about the goodbye." Even saying the words was making Santana's heart sink. "Let's just enjoy them, okay?" Brittany gave her a small smile and nodded as she fiddled with Santana's fingers. "Plus, it's not the end. Really, it's just the beginning." Brittany let out a tiny giggle as she brought her fist to her forehead. Santana scrunched her nose up with a smile.

"You little writer, you," Brittany laughed as she playfully shoved Santana's shoulder. Brittany leaned in to give her a few soft kisses. She sighed as she slid down the bed, pulled the covers over herself and her girlfriend, and laid her head onto Santana's chest.

"I love you," Brittany hummed as she tightened her arms around Santana's abs.

"I love you too," Santana breathed, giving the top of Brittany's head another kiss. "And I'm not going anywhere."

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"They have a pancake bar!" Brittany pointed as they walked into breakfast. The chef was cooking fresh pancakes in front of a growing line of customers. Santana giggled as they waited to be seated.

"Hey guys," Sam smiled as he walked up behind them.

"Oh, hey!" Brittany smiled.

"Quinn," Santana grinned. She hadn't seen the girl in a few days and was more than thrilled to see her still spending time with Sam.

"Hey you," Quinn practically smirked. "How are you guys?"

"Good," both girls replied at once. Quinn's eyes fell to their intertwined hands and smiled softly. "How about you?"

"Good, good," Quinn responded. Sam nodded in agreement.

"Four?"

"Huh?" Santana turned towards the hostess.

"Four?" She asked as she held up the menus and eyed the four teenagers.

"Oh," Santana looked up at her friends, clearly taken aback. The others looked just as frozen, so Santana turned and nodded. "Yeah." Both Brittany and Sam relaxed, happy that these couplings weren't making things too awkward for them.

"Perfect," the hostess smiled overly enthusiastically as she led them to a table in the back. Quinn sat across from Santana, Sam across from Brittany.

"Hey guys," a young waiter appeared. "Can I get you anything to drink? Buffet is all you can eat. Pancake bar is the specialty today," he pointed.

"Can I get an orange juice please? Oh, and a water," Quinn asked.

"Uh, same thing," Sam nodded.

"I'll just have a water," Santana said.

"Can I have a chocolate milk?" Brittany smiled.

"Of course. I'll be back in a minute," he smiled. "Help yourselves!" Brittany and Sam hopped up as soon as the waiter was gone, causing all four to giggle, almost uncomfortably.

"Go ahead," Santana nodded when Brittany looked down at her. "We'll catch up with you guys." Sam and Brittany nodded and walked away.

"Well, well, well," Quinn smirked.

"Well, well, well," Santana repeated in a similar tone. "Someone's wifed up?"

"Oh please," Quinn scoffed. "Did you guys elope yet?"

"Maybe if it were _legal_ we would have," Santana snarled.

"Touché," Quinn laughed. Santana joined the girl. She always enjoyed Quinn's humor.

"Seriously, you and Sam?" Santana asked.

"I like him," Quinn shrugged, her cheeks getting the tiniest hint of red in them. "He makes me laugh."

"So are you guys just like, hooking up?"

"I mean, as of now. We haven't really talked about 'us' too much, but we act more coupley than I _ever_ have," she practically rolled her eyes in disgust. Santana laughed lightly.

"Tell me about it," Santana giggled. "You gonna keep in touch after this all? I mean, how are you handling leaving him?"

"Is someone nervous about leaving their girlfriend?" Santana shot her a glare. "I don't know," Quinn sighed a little more seriously. She looked over her shoulder, almost nervous to see if Sam could hear. "I really like him," she whispered. "But I don't want to scare him. I mean, it's not like I'm saying I want to get married. I love getting to know him, but asking to try out a long term thing would feel to serious for the way things have been going with us. But the distance-"

"It's not impossible," Santana defended.

"I'm not saying that," Quinn smiled genuinely. "And he's going to school in Florida. That's where my home is. Unfortunately, I'm not in school there. But when our breaks _don't_ overlap, and I'm home and he's at school-it's just not impossible," she smiled hopefully. "I don't know," Quinn shook her head. "I'm just having fun."

"Good," Santana smiled.

"What about you? How are you handling the distance thing."

"We're gonna make it work," Santana said definitely. She left out the usual 'try to' that was normally apart of that sentence.

Quinn smiled. "Santana in love," she laughed. "How far's the drive?"

"Like five hours or something," Santana rolled her eyes. "She's trying to transfer though, so who knows how far it'll end up being."

"To where?" Quinn asked.

"A few places. No clue where she'll end up," she shrugged. "I'd obviously love her to be closer to me, but I just want her to be happy. So hopefully she can end up somewhere she actually likes. It just be a bonus if it wasn't _more _than a five hour drive," Santana laughed.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"Should I get the happy face?" Brittany asked. The chocolate chip pancake was decorated with a whipped cream smiley face with cherries for eyeballs.

"Definitely," Sam smiled.. "You gonna get something for Santana?" Brittany giggled at the thought.

"Oh yeah, happy face for her, too."

"I think I'm gonna get one for Quinn, too," he laughed.

"Four happy face pancakes," Brittany ordered proudly as the chef nodded.

"Yes ma'am," she older chef smiled. Sam turned around and waved happily at Quinn who was looking over.

"She seems awesome," Brittany smiled.

"Yeah, she is," Sam agreed. "Sucks we gotta leave soon," he said melancholily.

"You think you'll keep in touch?"

"Oh for sure," Sam nodded. "I mean, I hope so at least. I think she'll want to, right?"

"You haven't talked about it?"

"You know how I am with feelings. It makes me nervous!" Brittany laughed.

"True."

"I mean her family is in Florida, so it'd be easier to see her when I'm in school."

"Oh that's awesome!" Brittany told him. "Could be much worse," she offered.

"I know, I know," he smiled. "I assume you're gonna try to keep this going?" He asked about Santana.

"That's the plan," she smiled.

"Hey Brit," he said softly, his eyes falling down to his shoes. "I just wanna let you know how happy I am for you. I mean, you just seem really happy."

"I am," Brittany smiled. "And thanks," she said bashfully, quickly going onto her tiptoes to give the boy a tiny kiss on the cheek. "You too," she nodded.

"So how far is Michigan from, where's she at?"

"Kenyon," she reminded him.

"Right, Kenyon."

"I don't know," Brittany slurred. "Couple hours. My mom's trying to help me get some stuff together now though so hopefully it'll change soon."

"Huh?"

"I'm trying to transfer," she told him.

"What? Really? Why?"

"I need to dance, Sam," she breathed seriously. A big smile landed on his lips.

"Finally," he sighed as he shook his head. Brittany looked up at him with a questioning look. "That's what you're supposed to be doing. You're so damn talented! I was so upset when you settled last year. I was praying you'd be happy and I thought you were," he said, almost embarrassed he hadn't noticed for himself. "But good for you," he nodded. "Any ideas to where?" he asked. "Any closer to your girl?" The tiniest of smirks appeared on Brittany's lips.

"I'm working on it."

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

**Hey guys! Thanks so much for sticking with me. 1 or 2 more, plus an epilogue to answer all the questions!**

**xx**


	26. Chapter 26

"Brit!" Santana giggled as the water splashed into her eyes.

"I told you you should have worn the goggles," Brittany laughed as she skimmed her hand against the pool water. Santana rubbed the chlorine out of her eyes.

"They make me look ridiculous," Santana rolled her eyes.

"Like you could ever look ridiculous," Brittany said in a cute baby voice.

"Shut up," Santana laughed. Brittany splashed more water upward as she took a step closer to the brunette.

"Oh," Brittany cooed as she scrunched her nose up. "Come here cutie," she smiled as she wrapped her arms around Santana's neck. Santana let her hands fall on Brittany's bare hips, just above where her bikini bottoms started. Keeping one arm behind Santana's neck, Brittany slowly dragged her other hand down Santana's side, her touch hypnotizing the girl. In one quick motion, she slapped the water at her side and dunked under the water, the combination of the two splashing Santana right in the face.

"Ah!" Santana yelped as she flinched backwards. Brittany swam away instantly, her giggles forming tiny bubbles under the water.

"Brittany!" Santana screamed as she dove into the water after the blonde, suddenly not caring about her hair getting wet since Brittany had just taken care of that for her. Santana swam after her girlfriend managing to avoid a few kids along the way. She finally managed to corner the girl and Brittany popped out of the water dying for air. She gave Santana an innocent and apologetic smile.

"You're so mine, Pierce," Santana let out a deep laugh as she took a step closer.

Suddenly, the room went dark. Everyone around them shrieked as blackness surrounded them.

"What the," Santana breathed as she looked around. It was pointless though since everything was dark as night. She took another step forward until her body lightly bumped against Brittany's. Instinctively, Brittany's arms wrapped around Santana's waist. A few cries were coming from throughout the pool- little kids trying to find their mommies and teenagers laughing in confusion.

A loud humming noise started as dim lights flickered on.

"Generator," a man nodded to his wife behind the girls on the pool deck.

"They lost power?" Santana's eyes widened as she looked at Brittany. Brittany shrugged looking around.

"I think it's happened once or twice before. I was young though," Brittany remembered. The girls looked around at everyone evacuating the pool. The lighting was there but it was pretty weak, making it nearly impossible to see all the way to the door. Santana guessed since the lodge was so big it was hard to get sufficient lighting evenly throughout.

"I guess we should get out?" Brittany squinted as she watched everyone around them evacuate the pool. Santana agreed as the hopped out of the water and walked to the lounge chair to pick up their towels.

"I wonder what happened?" Santana thought aloud.

"I think I remember my Dad saying something about a big snow storm."

"That'd do it," Santana nodded as she tugged her towel around her. She got another good look at Brittany's body before the blonde concealed it with her towel.

"Come on," Brittany nudged her hip into Santana. Santana followed next to the blonde as they filed out of the pool room. They made a quick stop in the lobby, but there was far too much commotion at the front desk so they decided to head back up to Santana's room.

"I need to gets nice warm shower and into some warm clothes," Santana shivered.

"Aw, are you cold," Brittany pouted as they got in elevator. The generator had it running but by the vacancy surrounding the elevator lobby the girls guessed everyone else figured it, too, was powerless. "Come here," Brittany said opening up her arms and towel as she leaned up against the back wall. Santana smiled as she walked into Brittany's body. Brittany closed her arms and towel around the girl as Santana hummed into the crook of Brittany's neck. She couldn't take the scent anymore and needed a taste. She gently parted her lips as she pressed them against her skin, eliciting a shutter from the blonde.

"Mmm," Brittany hummed as Santana's lips moved a little higher. Suddenly she hit a spot that made Brittany giggle and squirm.

"Is someone ticklish," Santana mumbled against her fair skin. She slid her tongue along the spot before sucking a little harder, Brittany's laughter only getting louder.

"S-s-san," she giggled. Santana laughed back as she lightly nibbled at the spot, Brittany's stomach folding. "Y-you th-ink that's funny," her breath hitched as her hands reached to just below Santana's bare ribs. She dug her fingers into Santana's sides and Santana practically collapsed with a yelp.

"Brit!" She put her arms out to stop the girl but Brittany was far too strong for her. She tickled harder until Santana was fighting for breath. "O-Ok-kay," she stuttered. "Okay!" Brittany let go with a laugh. As their laughter calmed Brittany looked up at the elevator lights, the Lobby "L" still illumintaed.

"We haven't moved anywhere because _somebody_ forgot to hit the button," Brittany playfully rolled her eyes.

"Maybe because _somebody_ was distracting me." Brittany smirked as she stepped forward to hit the button.

They quickly made it up to Santana's door before they realized why the elevators were empty and why the front desk was packed. The generator may have turned the elevators on, but they sure as hell didn't turn the electronic key reader on. Everyone was locked out of their rooms.

"Fuck," Santana moaned. "I'm freezing!" Brittany hugged the girl with her towel again, trying to provide some warmth for the girl.

"I'm sure they have something downstairs. Come on," she nodded.

When they entered the lobby, they had to maneuver through a massive amount of people to find their families. Antony, Christine, Robert, Samantha, and Lincoln were sitting in the far corner. Luckily for the nearly naked girls, they'd claimed the spot next to one of the fireplaces.

"Oh thank God," Santana breathed as she fell to her knees in front of fireplace, her towel still wrapped around her. Mrs. Pierce laughed.

"You girl's didn't bring any clothes down with you?" She asked. Brittany shook her head.

"We weren't expecting to be locked out of our rooms," she explained. Santana got comfortable and turned slightly around so she was facing the group.

"Oh you poor thing," Mrs. Pierce said to Santana as she brought her hand over her mouth. "Your lips are blue! Brittany, warm her up!" She practically scolded. "I'll go get some hot chocolate." As Mrs. Pierce walked away Brittany sat down next to her girlfriend and wrapped her arm and part of her towel around Santana's shoulder. Santana let herself fall into Brittany's skin which was surprisingly warm.

"How long till the power's back?" Brittany asked her Dad.

"A few hours," he breathed. "Hopefully."

"It better be back on for tomorrow," Brittany worried aloud. New Years Eve was her favorite and without power it wouldn't be the same.

"I'm sure it will be," he nodded. "They'd have _way_ too much to deal with if it wasn't," he laughed as he looked around at the enraged guests.

"They've still got warm water," Mrs. Pierce smiled as she handed the girls and Lincoln their own hot chocolates. "You warming up?" She asked Santana.

"Mhm," she smiled. "Thanks so much."

Casual chatter took over for a while as the lobby settled down. People found their respective areas to relax in while they worked on getting the power back.

"You know how hard this is," Brittany whispered into Santana's ear as her hand slide off her shoulder and down to her waist.

"Hm?" Santana questioned.

"To be this close to you, holding you like this, while you're wearing _that_," she whispered as she eyed the brunette's body. "And I can't do_ anything _about it." Santana's body flushed as she felt the girl's eyes roam all over her.

"Let's play Encore!" Mrs. Pierce suggested, breaking some of the tension between the girls.

"Yeah!" Lincoln called, even though the boy had little to no idea how to play the game.

"Girls vs. Boys," Mrs. Pierce explained as she sat down next to Brittany and Santana. She waved Christine over and suddenly it was four versus two- three if you counted Lincoln, which they weren't. The men threw their arms up in protest.

"Okay, okay," Christine laughed. "I'll be an honorary member of the boys team for the moment."

"How do we play?" Antony asked.

"Okay," Mrs. Pierce started with a smile. "Two teams. We're given a word and we go back and forth singing at least eight words of a song with that word in it. Each team gets ten seconds. If you don't think of a song by then, the other team gets the point."

"Oh I love this game!" Christine remembered. Santana smiled as she looked around at the group of people in front of her. She loved the family feeling it gave her.

"So what's the word?" Mr. Pierce started.

"Blue!" Lincoln called out.

"Okay," he laughed. "We'll go first!" He quickly decided as a song popped into his mind. "Barefoot blue jean night," he sang in his best country accent. "Woah, never gonna grow up. Woah, never gonna slow down." Brittany giggled as she covered her face in her hands.

"Oh my god," she mumbled.

Mrs. Pierce quickly jumped in with Elton John's. "Baby's got blue eyes, like a deep blue sea, on a blue, blue day."

"Good one," Santana smiled. It quickly reminded her of Brittany's blue eyes and another song she could use.

"And baby while we at it I've had it with you and your blues," Antony sang as he rocked his head. "Van Halen," he bragged as Robert and him fist pumped.

Mrs. Pierce looked frantic as she tried to think of something but Santana already had one lined up.

"I miss those blue eyes every time I close mine," she sang softly. Everyone, besides her father, turned to stare at her.

"Your voice!" Mrs. Pierce said open mouthed as her hand landed on the girl's back. "It's beautiful!"

"Oh, thanks," Santana said bashfully. She had practically whispered the words trying her best not to sing them for real but her voice still rang through no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

"You should hear the real thing," Brittany bragged with a smile.

"I'm dying to," Mrs. Pierce shook her head.

"Quick!" Antony called, snapping everyone's attention back to the game. "Um," he thought.

"Dark blue, dark blue. Have you ever been alone in a crowded room?" Christine sang extremely off pitch. "Jack's Mannequin," she grinned.

"Nice," Antony smiled as his lips grazed her forehead.

"I'm blue da ba dee da ba die!" Brittany sang. Santana giggled as she turned to Brittany.

"I love that song!" she laughed.

"What?" Mr. Pierce cut her off. "That's not a real song."

"So is," Brittany defended.

"Those can't be the words."

"Look it up," she laughed. "I swear!"

"She's right, she's right," Christine shook her head. "Shit!" She hit her forehead.

"I want you in the morning girl, I love you. I want you at the moment I feel blue. I'm living every moment girl for you," Mr. Pierce sang while snapping.

"Beatles!" Antony clapped. "Yes!"

There was a long silence as the girls struggled to think. With about two seconds left, Santana pulled through.

"And if your DVD breaks today, you should've got a VCR. And I've never owned a Blue ray, true say," she sang in a cute British accent. "Ed Sheeran," she clarified.

"Yes Santana!" Mrs. Pierce high-fived the girl. Brittany gave her a celebratory kiss on the cheek.

"My girlfriend rocks," she whispered in her ear. A long pause filled the area.

"9, 10!" Brittany celebrated. "Point!" She called out as the three girls all cheered.

"Dammit," Mr. Pierce laughed. "Good word, Lincoln," he ruffled the little boys hair.

The game went on for over an hour with Mrs. Pierce just as mesmerized as Brittany by Santana's singing. The girls won, thanks to the wide range of music taste that Santana, Brittany, and her Mom all offered. Just as everyone was settling down, a man behind the front desk came out to let everyone know they'd gotten the keys up and running. Within a minute, the lobby was practically empty.

"Finally!" Brittany yawned as she made her way onto her feet. She bent down to help Santana up.

"Get some sleep, girls," Mrs. Pierce told them. "Long day tomorrow."

They nodded with a smile as they headed back upstairs. Both girls were exhausted. It had been a long, draining day. They had both helped each other pack up most of their clothes so New Years Day wasn't _completely _awful but the task had turned out to be both physically and emotionally draining. They took Lincoln to the game room for awhile and had a nice dinner together, followed by some quality alone time in Santana's bed. Their swimming was cut short by the power outage, but they still got more than enough time in the water.

"That was fun," Santana smiled as she stepped onto the elevator.

"Mhm."

"You alright?" Santana turned to her.

"Yeah," Brittany smiled softly.

"You tired?" Brittany nodded. Santana took her by the hand and led her to her room.

"Here," Santana sat Brittany down on the bed and grabbed two T-shirts and two pairs of boxer shorts.

"Thanks," Brittany said as she took the clothes, both girls quietly changing. Brittany crawled under the covers and waited for Santana to join her before pulling the comforter over both of them. "Here," Brittany smiled as she opened her arms for Santana to fall into. Santana sighed as she took comfort in Brittany's body.

"You're so comfy," Santana mumbled. Brittany giggled lazily.

"I'm gonna miss this," she sighed.

"Hey," Santana tried to scold the girl but it was way too hard. "What did we say?"

"I know, I know," Brittany smiled trying her best to stay positive. "We've been spoiled. Every night like this."

"And someday it'll be like this again," Santana said softly. Brittany kissed the top of her head.

"Hopefully sooner than we think," Brittany sighed as she tilted Santana's chin upward and gave her a soft kiss sending chills down both of their backs. "We'd better get some rest," Brittany told her. "We're gonna need it for tomorrow."

"I love you," Santana smiled with another kiss.

"You too," Brittany hummed.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"But you never thought about singing?" Mrs. Pierce asked as she took a lick of her ice cream cone.

"I mean, of course I thought about it," Santana answered unsurely. "I just- I don't know. I'm not sure how realistic it all is. And I really love writing, so," she shrugged.

"Do you ever write songs?"

"Mhm," Santana admitted sheepishly. "I always thought about trying to sell some of them," she shrugged. Talking about her writing usually made her anxious, but Mrs. Pierce was so easy to talk to.

"That's wonderful," she smiled. "It's much easier to sell songs to other artists if you can sing the songs to them with a voice like yours."

"Thanks," she blushed.

"Gosh, between the two of you you girls could entertain me for weeks!" Brittany and Santana laughed as Antony turned to enter the conversation.

"I hear you're quite the dancer, Brittany," he smiled. Brittany went to shake her head and give some modest response but Santana cut her off.

"Incredible," Santana confirmed.

"Are you still taking any classes?" He asked.

"I'm actually working on studying it for school," Brittany explained.

"Oh, that's great!" He smiled before Christine pulled him into another conversation.

"How's that going?" Santana asked softly.

"Good, right Mom?" Brittany asked.

"Work in progress," she beamed.

"Anywhere in particular? Have you made contact with anyone?" Santana wasn't sure why Brittany had stayed so coy about this whole subject but she guessed it had to do with the fear of it not working out mixed with the distance that could possibly stretch between the girls.

"We've reached out to all the schools I got into last year for dance," Brittany explained. "I really am not sure if leaving the state is the best idea with my Mom and all-"

"Brittany," her Mom sighed. "I told you, I'm going to be fine! And what did I say?"

"It's time to follow my dreams," Brittany mumbled as she rolled her eyes.

"Something will work out," Mrs. Pierce nodded with a smile. Santana gave Brittany's leg a squeeze under the table.

"Listen, we usually have a big family dinner on New Years before we let Brittany go do her thing, but given the circumstances," she practically whispered, not wanting the words to remind the girls of their eminent departure. "We're gonna let you two do your own thing. Enjoy the rest of the night. Enjoy each other. Don't get too much sleep," she winked. "We'll see you guys in the morning."

Brittany was glowing as she popped up from the chair. She threw her arms around her mother's neck.

"Thank you so much," she breathed.

"Have some fun," she smiled back. Santana followed Brittany to give Mrs. Pierce a hug.

"Thank you Mrs. Pierce."

"Please," she smiled as she hugged her tighter. "Samantha," she corrected. Brittany grabbed Santana's hand and began pulling her, a huge grin on her face. _Thank you_ Mrs. Pierce mouthed to Santana as she watched the joy rush to her daughter's face. After a quick hug with Antony, the girl's were gone.

"Go get dressed," Brittany gave Santana a little mouse kiss. "Make sure you look super sexy," she smirked. "I'm sure that won't be a problem." Brittany giggled. "I'll be down in like, an hour?" Santana gave her another kiss, giggles still on her lips.

"Sounds perfect."

The girls quickly showered and got dressed, neither wanting to miss a minute with their girlfriend. Nearly fifteen minutes earlier than planned, Brittany knocked on Santana's door. When there wasn't an immediate response, Brittany began stammering.

"I- I'm early. Sorry! I'll come back-"

Santana giggled as she opened the door.

"Woah."

"Holy Fuck," Santana breathed at the same time. Her eyes landed in Brittany's perfect blue eyes defined by black eyeliner and mascara before they fell down her body. The black, sleeveless dress covered most of her shoulders and had a swooping neckline. It wasn't particularly low, but starting just above Brittany's belly button, a mesh V opening ran up her chest. The black mesh turned back to the solid material in the middle of each of Brittany's breasts, exposing almost half of each. The dress was skin tight and fell just above her fingertips. Her black pumps only made everything else look that much better.

"Brit," she breathed as her eyes roamed back up to her pin straight blonde hair.

Brittany didn't hear her, though. She was too busy trying to catch her breath. Santana was in an incredibly short, tight, red dress with a plunging neckline, exposing Santana's chest.

"Red is so your color," Brittany finally managed to get out. Santana's cheeks began to match her dress as well as her lipstick.

"Hi," Santana smiled as she pulled Brittany in for a hug. As their chests pressed against each other, Brittany let out a short, breathy laugh.

"Your heart."

"Yeah," Santana smiled sheepishly. "It's just- that dress," her eyes widened.

"It's okay," Brittany smiled, pointing to her own heart which was beating just as hard. "Me too."

"You look incredible."

"So do you." Brittany moved a piece of Santana's wavy hair off of her cheek as she leaned in to give her supple kiss.

"So," Santana breathed. "Where are we headed?"

"Grabbing some dinner. Then," she whispered with a smile, "I'm gonna show you what it's like to _really_ dance with me."

"Ooh," Santana sang. "Really now?"

"Mhm," Brittany smirked.

"Then what are we waiting for?"

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"This is so fucking good," Santana closed her eyes as the chocolate molten lava cake melted in her mouth.

"Mhm," Brittany giggled, spooning a piece into her mouth.

"So can I ask you something?" Santana asked as she took a sip of her water, washing down the incredible dessert.

"Hm?"

"Are you excited about this whole college thing? Earlier you seemed a little, I don't know, hesitant?" Santana wasn't sure if that was the right word. Brittany sighed.

"My mom got in contact with three of the four schools I was accepted to last year. I mean, we're still waiting to hear any news, but even if they take me they're all out of state. I know I shouldn't be thinking like this, and we're not even sure if I'd get to transfer this semester. I may have to wait till the fall. But if I do, I just feel kind of..._weird?_... about leaving my Mom like this."

"You wouldn't be leaving her, though," Santana tried to offer.

"I know. And my Mom really wants me to go. She feels _horrible_ about me feeling pressured to choose Michigan in the first place, but I don't want to leave her when she's...you know."

"I know it's not going to be easy for either of you, but I think what she really wants is for you to be happy." Brittany began to smile.

"That's exactly what she said," Brittany told her with a light laugh.

"You have to do what feels right to you though, obviously," Santana smiled. Brittany nodded as she let her leg brush more against Santana's. "So you ever gonna tell me which schools you may end up at? I wanna know what we're working with," she smiled. Brittany laughed again. Even in serious conversations Santana made her feel so light.

"Well Arizona State, Indiana, and Ohio State were all really interested last year. So my Mom reached out to their admissions and the instructors, and they're all seeing what they can do."

"Brit, that's great!" She couldn't help her heart from fluttering at the chance of Brittany ending up in Ohio. Santana leaned sideways to give the girl a tiny peck on the mouth.

"Wanna know a secret?" Brittany whispered playfully. Santana nodded, playing along. "I'm pulling for Ohio," she giggled. Santana's hand cupped Brittany's cheek as she gave her a tiny kiss.

"That would be," Santana shook her head as she cut off, unable to think about that possibility. It would be too much to get her hopes up for. Plus, she didn't wanna persuade Brittany's decision at all. She wanted Brittany to be where she was supposed to be. She just hoped that where she was supposed to be happened to be less than 60 miles away from her.

"Let's get out of here," Brittany stood as she took the brunette's hand in her own.

"Thank God the power came back on," Santana joked as they filed into the crowded club. Colored lights were flashing _everywhere_ and flat screen TVs were in every corner playing a live feed from Times Square.

"It's crazy, right?" Brittany grinned.

"It's like a real club," Santana laughed. Brittany tightened her fingers in between Santana's and pulled her over to the bar. There was only one open stool so Brittany sat down and patted her leg for Santana to sit on. Santana wrapped her arm around Brittany's neck and sat on the girl's lap. It never ceased to amaze Brittany how good touching Santana felt.

"Two please," Brittany held up to fingers as the barely legal bartender motioned to the shots he had lined up. Santana wasn't positive if he was the same guy that had been hitting on Quinn but he easily could have been. He slid two shots over and the girls clinked the small glasses, quickly chugging the drink. The man laughed.

"Two more?" The girls looked at each other and shrugged with a smile.

"Sure," Santana told him. They did the same thing again and Brittany laughed as Santana's face scrunched up from the burn in the back of her throat.

"Want me to make some drinks?" He asked. Without thinking, both girls shook their heads. Neither had planned it, but this was their last night together and they sure as hell weren't trying to forget even a minute of it. The bartender nodded and walked to the next costumer as Santana craned her neck towards Brittany.

"Have I told you how sexy you look tonight?" She whispered, her eyes falling down the mesh opening.

"A few times," Brittany giggled. Her eyes were leveled with Santana's chest and it was nearly impossible to look away.

"I'm up here," Santana teased as she leaned in to take Brittany's lips in her own. Brittany smiled as her hands fell down Santana's back. They kissed over and over again, one always leaving the other wanting more.

"Damn," Quinn teased as she walked up with Sam.

"Hey," Brittany laughed as she turned around, her face already multiple shades darker. "Woah, you look hot," she told Quinn. She had on a champagne colored dress that wasn't quite as tight as the girl's were but still showed off her body. It had an open back that exposed almost all of Quinn's skin and her hair and makeup made her look like a greek goddess.

"Me?" Quinn laughed. "Look at you two. Jesus," she breathed as she got a better look at their outfits.

"God," Sam's eyes widened. "All three of you," he looked around. "You look great."

"You're looking pretty handsome yourself," Santana offered with a smile.

"Thanks," he laughed, feeling completely overwhelmed by the three ladies around him. "You guys want any drinks?" He asked.

"Just got some," Brittany answered. "Here, take our seat," she said looking around and realizing all the stools were still taken.

"No, that's-"

"We were just going to hit the dance floor anyway," Brittany smiled.

"Oh?" Quinn eyed Santana with a smirk. Santana wiggled her eyebrows slightly, but even with the fresh alcohol her heart started pounding. Brittany yanked her away by the hand before she could process what was happening.

"I love this song," Brittany whispered as she pulled Santana towards her by both her hands. She intertwined their fingers and pulled Santana's chest into hers.

"What is it?" Santana asked, her voice a little shaky.

"No clue," Brittany shrugged. "But I'm dancing with you," she said in a silly voice. Santana rolled her eyes as Brittany's hips started rolling into hers, their arms raising above their heads. "Relax," Brittany breathed with a smile as she let their arms slowly fall. She let go of Santana's hands for a second and placed them on the girl's hips, helping her loosen them up. "I saw you with Quinn," she smirked. Santana laughed a little as Brittany's lips gently nibbled at her jawline. Santana was about to take her face into her hands when Brittany quickly snapped around. She bent over and began rocking her ass into Santana's center. Her hips were hypnotizing and Santana's breath was already erratic. She let her hands rub up and down the girl's sides. A minute or so passed before Brittany turned back around and slowly rode up Santana's body. She swayed back and forth completely focusing on every part of Santana. She looked beautiful and hot as hell all at the same time. Santana realized, while she focused on getting air back into her lungs, that she hadn't showed Brittany she could really keep up. She grabbed Brittany's hands and slowly dragged them up her sides, wrapping them around her own neck. She smirked before her hands tickled down Brittany's sides followed by Santana's core. Her hips were lightly pushing into Brittany's and she looked up into the girl's eyes for a slight minute to see her smiling as she bit down on her lip. Santana swayed down the girl's body as she reacted to Brittany's slight movements. She let her hands slide down the back of her bare legs and she wanted so badly to kiss them. She turned herself around to keep herself from doing so and drove her backside into the girl's center. Brittany's hands immediately found just below Santana's hips. As the song went on, they only fell lower and lower. Santana's head arched backwards and Brittany's lips quickly found her bare neck. A few seconds into it, Santana let out a moan that snapped them back into the reality of the moment. Santana turned around, her forehead pressed against Brittany's. She placed her hands behind the girl's neck as Brittany's roamed her body. Santana couldn't take it anymore and pressed her lips into Brittany's.

"Mmm," she hummed. Brittany grinned against the girl. "Could you _be _any hotter?" As she pulled away to cool herself off, Brittany smirked at her devilishly, as if the statement had been some sort of challenge. She pushed Santana off by the shoulders making the girl stumble backwards. Brittany was suddenly in front of her dragging her to the corner of the room by the hand. Before Santana could figure out where they were headed, Brittany pulled a chair out from the table and shoved her down into the basic, armless, dark wooden chair. Santana looked around at people chatting at tables around her, making out on the couches behind her, and dancing all over the place.

Brittany licked her bottom lip with a smile as she straddled Santana's waist. She hovered over her, managing to not put any weight on Santana, and gave her a long, gentle kiss. Before Santana could speak, Brittany was slowly rising back up, her hips rocking side to side. She lifted one leg over Santana's and slowly walked behind her. She let her arms fall down Santana's chest as they rubbed down her abs. Santana felt Brittany rock against her back and shivered as her lips hit her neck. Santana's heart was going crazy. The pressure in her legs was building and she could already feel a small pool. Brittany walked back around and placed her hands on Santana's thighs. She slid down the girl's right leg, her hips swaying back and forth as her her center rubbed against her leg. Her eyes didn't leave Santana's for a minute. As she popped back up, she whipped her hair in a circle and Santana was pretty sure the girl had just killed her. Then Brittany sat facing outward on Santana's right leg, her body slowly falling backwards onto Santana's lap. Santana's eyes were fixated on her chest until Brittany rose her left leg straight up into the air. Santana's jaw dropped and Brittany giggled as she slowly rose upright. She spun around and returned to straddling Santana. This time, she thrusted her hips into Santana as she rolled them in circles.

"F-uck Brit," she breathed. Her eyes rolled back into the back of her head as Brittany, hips still rolling, kissed up and down the girl's jaw. "B-brit," she moaned. "I need," she gasped. Santana arched her body into Brittany and suddenly Brittany couldn't take it anymore. She rose to her feet and grabbed Santana by the hand.

"Come on," she husked. They practically ran as Brittany led them behind the bar. They ducked past one of the bartenders and Brittany opened up the door to the bartender's lounge. Since it was New Years and completely packed, they didn't have a chance to use it. They made it inside and all Santana could see was a table and a couch before Brittany shoved her against the locked door. Brittany's lips crashed into Santana's and they both let out a desperate noise. Brittany's hands were frantic all over Santana's body before lifting her off the ground, Santana's legs wrapping around her waist. Brittany only made it as far as the table before she laid Brittany down, her lips immediately finding Santana's.

"Mmm," Santana moaned as she took Brittany's face in her hands. Brittany climbed on top of her and Santana's legs wrapped around Brittany's waist. Santana used her legs to pull herself closer to Brittany but nothing was helping.

"Br-rit," she struggled. "N-now. Now." Brittany took the hint as she slid down Brittany's body. Her lips landed on Santana's thigh and the girl's body locked up. Brittany realized how close she was and skipped the foreplay. Santana assisted her as she arched upward so Brittany could slide her dress upward and her underwear off. Within a second her lips were on Santana's center.

"God," Santana shouted. Brittany ran her tongue through the girl's folds and all of Santana's muscles clenched. She started kissing, softly at first, then she began sucking harder. Santana was shaking and her hips were spasming.

"Fuck!"

Brittany's tongue entered Santana and she gave out. Her body collapsed as her breath hitched and her heart stopped. Her chest was heaving as Brittany slowly made her way back up Santana's body. As she waited for Santana come all the way back down, she pressed light kisses all over Santana's neck.

"Babe," Santana breathed softly. Brittany smiled as she leaned above Santana to give her a tiny kiss. "You're incredible."

"You too," Brittany smiled. "I told you you could keep up with me," she said referring to the dance floor.

"Are you kidding?" Santana asked seriously. "Do you see me right now?"

"Yeah, well I kind of played unfairly," she gave her an innocent smile.

"You think?" Santana rolled her eyes playfully. "You drive me crazy. The way you move," she shook her head.

"You're not so bad yourself." Brittany went to lay her head on Santana's chest.

"What do you think you're doing?" Santana quickly slid herself out from underneath, making sure to catch Brittany's head before she banged it on the table. Brittany looked up at her slightly inquisitively. "I'm not done with you," Santana smirked, her hands slowly rolling up the bottom of Brittany's dress.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"You up for a round two later?" Santana husked as Brittany's hands fell down her back.

"And a round three. And a round four," Brittany whispered back, her lips grazing Brittany's ear. The song stopped and a voiceover boomed through the room.

"Ten minutes till the New Year!" Everyone in the Lodge cheered. There were clappers and noisemakers everywhere. People were handing out confetti guns and noise poppers and everyone was already sporting silly hats and glasses.

"I can't wait to kiss you at midnight," Brittany smiled.

"Me too," Santana beamed back. Her face was soft and filled with genuine excitement. "I've never had a real midnight kiss," she confessed.

"What?" Brittany practically froze. "Never?"

"Only a drunken one at a party. Typical high school," she laughed. "Never one that meant anything."

"Come with me," Brittany smiled. Santana gripped Brittany's arm as she lead her through the crowd.

"Where are we going?" Santana asked once they made it out of the club.

"I want your first midnight kiss to be perfect."

"It will be," Santana laughed lightly. "It's gonna be with you, isn't it?" Santana checked. Brittany playfully rolled her eyes. They hopped on the elevator and as soon as Brittany hit the button Santana knew where they were going.

"Lookout?" She asked. "Won't it be packed?" Brittany shrugged.

"Probably not. Everyone's at some sort of party."

When Brittany opened the door, she let out an amazed gasp.

"We're alone," she said in disbelief. She'd expected it to be quieter than downstairs, but she had expected at least two other couples looking for some silence. "Come on," she smiled. Hand in hand, the girls walked down to the spot they'd first spoken and the spot where Brittany had led Santana at three in the morning for their first real talk and make out session. They sat down for a minute, hands still intertwined.

"How will we know when it's midnight?" Santana asked, suddenly confused.

"Listen," Brittany smiled. In the distance Santana could hear the commotion from downstairs. "Just wait till they countdown." Santana leaned in to give Brittany a sweet kiss.

"Remember when you showed up at my door at 3 am?" Santana laughed, remembering what had brought her here that first real night with Brittany. "You were so in love," she teased.

"Says the girl who was waiting at her door for me," Brittany rolled her eyes. "In her underwear! Tease." Santana guffawed.

"Oh my gosh," she remembered. "You were so flustered."

"Was not!" Brittany defended as she playfully hit Santana's arm.

"_Um maybe you should put some pants on_," Santana mocked Brittany from that night.

"Shut up!" Brittany laughed, clearly embarrassed.

"You wouldn't come in my room, either. What did you think I was gonna do to you?"

"I don't know! I was nervous!" She threw her arms up in the air.

"I'm just messing," Santana laughed. "So was I."

They fell into a comfortable silence as Brittany laid her head on Santana's shoulder.

"It's so pretty out there," Santana sighed at all the lights. "I'm gonna miss this," Santana said referring to the view.

"Me too," Brittany sighed referring to an entirely different thing.

"So how was your year?" Santana asked with a small smile.

"Honestly, I thought it sucked. But right now I can't even remember why. You?"

"No major complaints," she nodded. "Couldn't have asked for a better ending, that's for sure," Santana told her. Brittany gave her a tiny kiss on her cheek.

"I'm so happy I met you," Brittany said as she cuddled into Santana's arm.

"Me too," Santana breathed into Brittany's forehead.

"_Twenty! Nineteen! Eighteen!"_ Came shouts from downstairs. Brittany sat upright and turned to the brunette with a smile.

"Look at that." Santana giggled as Brittany scooted closer to her.

"Brit," Santana breathed.

"Hm."

"I love you."

"I love you too Santana," Brittany breathed as she softly tucked a piece of Santana's hair behind her ear.

"So much," Santana smiled as she placed her hand on the blonde's hip.

"So much," Brittany repeated as she placed their foreheads together.

"_Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven!_" Brittany was whispering the countdown as she stared into Santana's dark orbs.

"Six, Five, Four, Three," she whispered. "Two-"

Before she could get out the one Santana's lips crashed into hers as she took Brittany's bottom lip in between her two thicker ones. Butterflies exploded inside both of them. Santana loosened her lips enough for Brittany's tongue to gently glide against her lower lip. She tightened her lips again as Brittany's signature smile came through. It seemed to be contagious at this point as both girls were grinning, trying to keep their lips connected.

"Happy New Year," Brittany whispered, her face still pressed against Santana's. The brunette smiled.

"I think it's gonna be a good one."

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

**Hey guys! So turns out next chapter is the last one followed by an epilogue. Thanks so much for all the reviews and messages as always! I also have a playlist coming out probably next chapter from a few requests of all the songs mentions/ songs the remind me of the storyline so I'll link that next chapter probably. **

**xx **


	27. Chapter 27

"I can't feel my feet," Santana laughed as she gripped onto Brittany's shoulder so she could slip her heels off. Brittany giggled as Santana shot her a look. "Your feet don't hurt? Like, not even a little?"

"I'm used to it," she shrugged with a soft smile as she unlocked Santana's door.

"My bed!" Santana cried dramatically as she collapsed onto it. Brittany laughed as she sat down beside Santana's sprawled out body.

"Help me get this off?" Brittany asked Santana as she tried to unzip her back. Santana sat up as Brittany brushed her hair over her shoulder and did her best to unclip the tiny hook at the top of Brittany's spine. When it took her more than three times Brittany laughed. "You were so good at this earlier," she smirked, remembering when not once, not twice, but three times Santana had undone her dress that night. Santana rolled her eyes.

"I wasn't dead tired then," she laughed.

"Aw," Brittany cooed playfully as Santana finally got the hook undone and began unzipping the dress. "Is my baby tired?" Brittany rolled over onto Santana as her dress fell off her chest a little. Santana smiled as her lips softly brushed Brittany;s.

"Mhm," Santana hummed as she helped Brittany slip out of the dress.

"Here," Brittany slid to the side of Santana and helped the girl get out of her dress. Once the girl was down to her bra and underwear, Brittany slid up to the covers to untuck them. She got underneath them and waited for Santana to join her. The brunette finished taking off her undergarments before crawling under the covers and cuddling into a naked Brittany.

"Tonight was awesome," Brittany said as Santana tucked her head into the crook of the girl's neck.

"Yeah," Santana agreed. "Thank you for all of it," she yawned. "It was the perfect ending." As the words slipped out of Santana's mouth they both felt the mood shift. A heavy silence followed as Santana's arm tightened around Brittany's waist.

"You can go to sleep," Brittany suggested as she took a look at the clock. _3:49 AM._ "You know, if you're tired. Long day of travels tomorrow."

"Are you kidding? And miss my last few hours with you?" The words were exactly what Brittany was hoping to hear and it made her body relax. Santana quickly sat up to plant a soft kiss on Brittany's lips. As Brittany's lips latched onto hers, Santana laid back onto her side, her hands resting on Brittany's hips. Brittany brought her hands to Santana's face as she ran her right fingers through the girl's thick hair. They laid like that- lips connected, bodies pressed together- for as long as they could.

"I can't believe it," Brittany sighed. Santana started tracing her thumb around the blonde's hip bone.

"I know," Santana sighed right back, no longer able to pretend that this didn't totally suck.

"I'm gonna miss you so much," Brittany nestled her nose into Santana's.

"And I'm gonna miss your body," Santana tried to lighten the mood. It worked and Brittany gently slapped her shoulder. "And you," Santana added, giving her shoulder a kiss. As they fell back into silence, Brittany's chest began shaking lightly. Santana pulled back a little to get a better look at the girl's smiling face.

"What?" Santana asked.

"It's just kind of funny," Brittany shrugged. Santana gave her a questioning look and the girl continued. "I mean, I leave home expecting to _maybe_ come back home with a boyfriend. Sam," she corrected. "Not just some guy. But here I am," she laughed. "With my new girlfriend." Santana joined.

"What are your friends gonna say?" she asked. Brittany started laughing a little harder.

"They were _positive_ I was going to come home back with Sam."

"How do you think they're going to react?" Santana asked a little more seriously. Brittany and Santana had been simple up to this point. Everyone had accepted them and they had had very little interaction with the other's friends. They were about to go home, back to their real lives. It was naïve to think that there wouldn't be issues and challenges, friends included.

"My friends?"

"Yeah. To you dating a girl."

"I'm sure they'll be a little surprised," she said still carefree.

"Are you nervous? To tell them?" Santana was still caressing Brittany's skin with her fingers. She knew how hard it was to come out, but she also couldn't imagine coming out nearly a month after realizing it.

"Not really," Brittany said a little surprised by her answer. "I mean, they used to make fun of me for always talking about how pretty my math teacher was, so I don't think it will be a _total_ shock," she laughed. Santana giggled as she pressed her lips back into Brittany's. "Plus, they're gonna love you," Brittany added. "They're gonna think you're hilarious."

"You're amazing," Santana smiled. "I can't wait for Lizzie to meet you."

"Will she like me?" Brittany asked hesitantly.

"Are you kidding? She's gonna fucking _love_ you," Santana laughed. Brittany smiled. "She's been waiting for _years_ to meet the girl that'd finally whip me."

"Whip you?" Brittany said clearly confused. Santana laughed lightly.

"You fucking whipped me," Santana explained. Brittany quirked an eyebrow at her. "Lizzie watched me mess around for years. Deny my feelings, mess with everyone else's. She's had a serious boyfriend since the beginning of high school and has been waiting for me to, in her words, grow the hell up." Brittany smiled a little. "She kept talking about how one day I'd meet this girl that'd change everything."

"And?" Brittany smiled hopefully.

"I told her that was bull," Santana laughed playfully. "She was right, though," she added softer. Brittany gave her another kiss. "You remember how I was all worked up about finding out about your Mom?" Brittany nodded. "Well I was pretty stressed because on top of all of what you were dealing with, I didn't know if you trusted me enough to tell me. I mean, I just wanted to be there for you-" Brittany started to cut her off to remind the girl that she did in fact trust her but Santana smiled and started again. "I know," she smiled and nodded. "I was just being an idiot." Brittany giggled a little as she let her thumb rub against Santana's jawline. "Anyways, I was freaking out and I think I really just wanted to tell _someone_ about you. Obviously I wanted some advice, but I think subconsciously I was just dying to tell anyone who'd listen about you." Brittany's stomach was fluttering. "So I got a cab to a Starbucks and called Lizzie."

"You're so cute," Brittany smiled.

"Yeah well, she noticed like literally just from the way I was talking that something was different. She was messing around about me being all soft all of a sudden. She was like, "what'd you fall in love?" I stayed quiet for a second too long and she started attacking me with a million questions," Santana rolled her eyes.

"What you do?" Brittany giggled.

"Obviously I denied it," Santana said honestly. "But then I talked about you, like only for a minute or something, and she was _convinced_. She kept telling me you _are _in love! You're in love! Holy shit!" Santana mocked. Brittany giggled again, her fingers brushing away some of Santana's loose hairs. "I said some bullshit thing about me only knowing you for two weeks, and she got me."

"What she say?" Brittany was practically begging for the rest of the story.

"Something about how it only took her two hours to fall in love with Dale- that's her boyfriend- but it took her two months to realize it. Then I remember, because it played in my head all night, she said, 'You're in fucking love. You just don't know it yet.'" Brittany's smile grew even more as Santana shook her head. "Fucking Lizzie," Santana sighed. "She's always right, damn it."

"You were in love? That early?" Brittany was beaming.

"I don't know what else would've made me act so insane," Santana joked.

"When did you know then?" Brittany asked. "That it was more than, you know," she shrugged.

"Looking back, the signs are there from the beginning," Santana confessed.

"What do you mean?"

"Brittany," Santana sighed. "You know that first night? When I talked to you in the Lookout?"

"Mhm," Brittany smiled.

"You think that was coincidence? I followed you there. Like a fucking stalker," she laughed.

"What?" Brittany giggled.

"I don't even remember what I was thinking! I just- I had this weird sensation. I _had_ to know where you were going. I _had_ to talk to you."

"Thank God you did," Brittany smiled, not creeped out at all by the girl's admission.

"But the whole time, I kept telling myself you were just another girl. You know, just an attraction. A good time for the rest of the month. A game, even," Santana admitted weakly. "I mean, I was gonna be here for a month with no phone and no internet and I didn't know what else could keep me entertained but, you know," Santana tried to explain herself. Brittany didn't falter, though. She didn't lose trust in Santana for even a second. "But then, I don't know, you and Sam were sort of a thing and I felt...jealous. I couldn't explain it. I kept acting like it was this flirtatious game and I tried to ignore how giddy you made me. But then when we kissed," Santana sighed. "Game changer," she laughed.

"For me too," Brittany smiled, planting another kiss on Santana's lips.

"I've never lost my breath like that," Santana remembered. "My heart was going. And my stomach!" she faded out.

"So you realized you loved me when we kissed?"

"No," Santana shook her head. "You know the first time you, um, you know," Santana said suggestively. "In the hot tub?" Brittany smirked.

"Mhm," Brittany remembered vividly. "I took two shots before that. I was so nervous," she reminded the girl.

"I know," Santana laughed. "It was amazing. _You_ were amazing. But after you made me feel like that, all I wanted to do was cuddle," she admitted weakly. "I thought about it for a minute and wasn't gonna say anything, but then I gave in and I asked you to cuddle. I _needed_ you."

"I remember," Brittany smiled.

"I _don't _cuddle," Santana explained. "I mean, I didn't used to," she smiled as she pulled Brittany closer to her.

"Now you're a cuddle monster," Brittany teased as she lightly tickled Santana.

"Yeah," she laughed. "Seriously though, when I let it slip to Lizzie that we were cuddling she was _shocked_. Cuddling because _you _wanted to, I tried to convince myself was different and that I was only doing it because it was what you wanted. But I enjoyed it way too much. And then I wanted to do it after sex too. I wanted to feel close to you. After that, I think I realized it. That this was real."

"I love you," Brittany hummed as Santana's lips leaned into hers.

"You too. What about you?"

"When did I realize it?" Santana nodded. "Jeez," she laughed. "Nobody's ever made me burn like you," she laughed. "From our first conversation! My skin was on fire the entire time. I thought it was kind of silly at first, but then it only got worse. I mean first there was the kiss. You were so close to me and suddenly it wasn't a matter of _if_ I should kiss you. It was more like why hadn't I yet? The note got me, too," she smiled. "But then the first time we had sex," she smiled. "When you took care of me like that. I was so nervous. You made me so comfortable. And then after you told me all about Riley. _Then_ you told me you'd never told anyone most of that stuff. I can't even explain how that made me feel," Brittany smiled with a kiss. "And when I asked you if you'd write about us and that moment and you said 'probably,'" she mocked. "And you got all flustered after," she laughed. "It was so cute. But I realized then that I wasn't making it all up in my head. It was real. For both of us. I knew it was real, but then the whole deal with my Mom," she said as her voice cracked. "Nobody's ever cared that much about me or been able to tell when something was wrong. When I walked in on you singing, I- I can't even. I _knew_ you cared about me in the way that I cared about you. It was the most incredible feeling ever."

"Wanna see something?" Santana quickly sat up with a smile. Brittany nodded enthusiastically as Santana reached under the bed and pulled out her journal. She started flipping through pages and Brittany's heart skipped a beat.

"Babe," Brittany breathed. "You don't have to-"

"Shh," Santana hushed as she kept flipping the pages. "Here," she pointed to the page. "This is from the morning after we kissed." Brittany's eyes fell down the page. The first thing she noticed was a dark line crossed out through her name. Her finger landed on it and she looked up at Santana.

"I was trying not to write about you," Santana said weakly. As Brittany's eyes followed down the page she noticed a few more scribbled out sections, all of which started with the blonde's name.

"How was that working for you?" Brittany laughed lightly as her heart sped up.

"Clearly not too well," Santana breathed as she flipped the page, revealing Brittany's name scribbled over and over again. It filled up every inch of both pages. Santana flipped the page again revealing another double sided section filled with the blonde's name.

_Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany Brittany_ over and over again. The third page turn revealed another white page filled with black ink. "And these are only the ones I _didn't_ rip out," Santana said softly.

"San," Brittany breathed, her fingers tracing over the indents in the page from the pen that was clearly pressed in too hard.

"I'm whipped Brit," Santana smiled. "In the best way possible. You drive me crazy. You're all I think about. I'd do _anything_ for you. Anything. You make me a better person in every way." Brittany was grinning so wide her eyes were watering.

"Then I'm whipped too," Brittany said back with a giggle. Santana leaned into Brittany and took the blonde's lips in between her own. They alternated sucking in each other's lips as they laid back down onto the bed.

"I love you," Santana hummed as Brittany mumbled it back against her.

Santana fell back onto the bed and this time Brittany was the one to curl up beside her.

"I don't want it to get light," Brittany whispered as she looked out the window. "I want it to stay like this forever."

"Dark?" Santana asked.

"No, night time." Santana's heart sunk a little. She didn't want tomorrow to come either.

"These lights are perfect," she changed the subject slightly as she looked up at the still hanging Christmas decorations. Brittany smiled a little.

"Magic of Christmas," Brittany joked.

"Or your magic," Santana corrected. Brittany giggled as they fell back into a comfortable silence.

"You know, I really don't wanna fall asleep," Brittany said as her eyelids fought to stay open, "but I can't wait to wake up to you. It's my favorite." Santana pressed her lips to the top of Brittany's head and kept them there. She breathed in Brittany's scent and did her best to hold back her tears. She hated the thought of not waking up to the blonde every morning, not holding her every night, not kissing her whenever she wanted, and not seeing, hearing, and touching her at the same time. But that thought was going to become a reality as soon as the girls opened their eyes.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"Mm," Santana groaned as her body nestled closer to Brittany's. Brittany smiled as she watched the sleepy girl slowly come into consciousness.

"Morning beautiful," Brittany whispered as Santana's eyes flitted open. Santana let out a soft sound as she adjusted her shoulder under Brittany's head.

"Morning," Santana muttered with a smile. "How long have you been awake? You should have woken me up."

"About an hour."

"Brit!"

"I like watching you sleep," she said sheepishly. "You look so perfect." Her voice was quiet and hesitant. Santana tucked some of Brittany's blonde hair behind the girl's ear as she planted a gentle kiss on her lips. "I can't believe it's the last time I'm going to watch you wake up-"

"Babe," Santana breathed.

"I know," she shook her head. "I just mean, you know, for awhile." Her voice cracked slightly at the word _awhile_. Santana let her hands rub up and down the blonde's back. "How long do you think?" Brittany asked weakly. "Before we see each other again."

"Did you forget already?" Santana smiled softly. Brittany's eyebrows creased together. "Our three week rule? You made it."

"Oh yeah," Brittany smiled. "But... how?"

"I don't know," Santana shrugged. She managed to stay as calm as she could even though she too had no clue how they were going to honor the rule. "We'll figure it out, I promise. I know I won't be happy again until I see you." Brittany's lips landed on Santana's cheek and lingered there for a moment.

"What time is it?" Santana asked.

"9:45 or something," she shrugged, knowing they promised they'd be downstairs to eat by 9:50.

"Ugh," Santana moaned as she started to sit up.

"I know." Brittany started kissing softly on Santana's neck. Santana continued to try to stand up but as Brittany's mouth opened further Santana fell back onto her pillow.

"Mmm," she hummed as Brittany's tongue hit Santana's skin. Brittany's hands started running down Santana's bare sides and the girl shuddered. "I guess we can be a few minutes late, huh?"

Brittany giggled as she swung her leg over Santana's hips with a smirk.

"They wouldn't expect anything less."

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"Hi girls," Mrs. Pierce smiled as Brittany and Santana joined everyone else at the table.

"Hey," Brittany smiled cooly while Santana offered a more bashful "hey." Unlike Brittany, showing up a little late for obvious reasons made her cheeks burn. Antony playfully pointing to his watch didn't help either.

"How did you sleep?" Mrs. Pierce asked.

"Didn't sleep much," Brittany answered truthfully with a shrug. Mrs. Pierce tried to hide her giggles as Santana looked down at her napkin to avoid any uncomfortable eye contact.

"You're all packed, right?"

"Basically," Brittany nodded solemnly.

"Santana, are you?" Antony asked.

"Mhm."

"I am too!" Lincoln called out since no one bothered to ask him.

"Good buddy," Mr. Pierce laughed along with everyone else.

"Can I have hot chocolate?" Lincoln asked.

"Can you wait until after breakfast?" Mr. Pierce asked. "Then we can run over to the cafe to get the good stuff."

"But I wanna drink it with my pancakes!"

"I can go get it," Mrs. Pierce offered. "Anyone else want some?" Antony and Christine shook their heads.

"I'll have a cup," Brittany said.

"Here," Santana said as she stood up. "Let me help you."

"Oh honey you don't have to-"

"No," Santana smiled as she shook her head. "Please, let me help." Her pleading eyes told Mrs. Pierce to accept her offer.

"Okay," she nodded. "Thanks Santana."

"Let me come," Brittany hopped up.

"No, Brit. It's alright. We'll be right back." Brittany was a little confused, maybe even slightly hurt, but she knew Santana had her reasons and she sat back down quietly. Santana noticed this and she quickly leaned down to give the girl a quick kiss on the cheek, immediately curing Brittany of any worries.

"So how did you end up liking the lodge?" Mrs. Pierce smiled as they walked out towards the lobby. "The last day is always the saddest. No one ever wants to leave."

"It was _much_ better than I expected," she laughed lightly.

"I know. No phone or internet service doesn't sound too appealing at first," Mrs. Pierce laughed. "I'm surprised your father was able to get you here. I know I'd have a tough time convincing Brittany if she didn't know anything about it. It's a wonderful place, though."

"Mhm," Santana agreed. "It really is."

"Are you going to get hot chocolate too?" She asked as they made their way into the cafe. "One last goodbye?"

"Sure," Santana shrugged. All the goodbye-talk was starting to hit her.

"Four hot cocoas please," Mrs. Pierce smiled.

"Mrs. Pierce?" Santana breathed hesitantly.

"Samantha, remember?" She smiled.

"Right, sorry. I, um, kind of wanted to talk to you about something."

"What is it honey?" She asked, suddenly concerned.

"Well, I'm really, really happy that Brit is trying to transfer and follow her dreams-"

"Me too," Mrs. Pierce smiled. "I actually wanted to thank you."

"Me?"

"I know you were the one that encouraged Brittany to finally tell us she wasn't happy. Even if you didn't directly tell her too." Suddenly Santana felt a little anxious, like it wasn't her place to do that. "I'm grateful for it everyday," Mrs. Pierce sighed. "I hate that she felt like she had to go to Michigan because of us! We never meant for that-"

"She knows," Santana smiled softly making Mrs. Pierce relax.

"Anyway, thank you for that. It's so good to see her this happy." Santana nodded politely. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. Go on."

"Um, Brittany and I were talking about schools and she told me she was pulling for Ohio." Mrs. Pierce smiled softly. "I mean, I'm in Ohio." Samantha smiled in acknowledgement. "Obviously I'd love that, don't get me wrong. I just-" Santana sighed as she tried to find her words. "I don't want her to be unhappy at a school again. I don't want her to choose Ohio just because it may be closer to me, you know? I don't know if she's doing that or not. I just want to make sure wherever she chooses is where _she_ wants to go." Mrs. Pierce looked down at Santana with the most gentle smile.

"Oh, San," she breathed softly as she shook her head. "I knew I liked you," she laughed as she pulled Santana into a surprising hug. "I'll let you in on a little secret: Nothing made Brittany as excited as opening her Ohio State letter. That dance program is one of the best in the country. Top five, at least. Robert and I didn't really realize how incredible that opportunity was," she shook her head. "I should have seen it then," she sighed. "But if it makes you feel any better, if you hadn't entered the picture, I honestly believe Ohio would still be her top pick."

"Yeah?" Santana asked once more.

"Absolutely. Plus, it's not like being close to you is a bad thing for her," Mrs. Pierce smirked a little.

"Thanks Mrs. Pi- erm, Samantha." The woman giggled as she picked up two hot chocolates. Santana grabbed the other two and followed behind her.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"The bellhop will be up in a minute!" Antony shouted through the door.

"Ugh," Santana groaned as Brittany let her head fall on the girl's shoulder. They had been sitting on the edge of the bed staring at the wall for a few minutes now.

"What time are you leaving?" Santana asked, her voice already audibly strained.

"About an hour after you."

"This sucks," Santana admitted weakly.

"Hey," Brittany turned to the girl as she tightened her grip on her hand. "We can't both be messes," she laughed lightly.

"Then it's my turn," Santana let out a breathy laugh.

"San!" Antony called out with a knock on the door.

"Coming," she grunted. She stood up slowly but Brittany quickly rose to her feet and pulled her closer.

"Hey, look at me," she whispered. "It's gonna be alright," she smiled. She slowly leaned in and took Santana's lips in hers, both girls taking in each other's taste. Santana let out a deep breath as they looked around the room, the lights now down and packed away.

"We've had some good times here," Santana said overly nostalgic. Brittany giggled as she dipped her shoulder into the girl. She gave Santana a soft kiss on the cheek and pulled her by the hand.

"Come on," she whispered.

They loaded the luggage cart, Brittany on Santana's arm, Christine on Antony's. They rode the elevator in complete silence. Once they made it into the lobby, Robert, Samantha and Lincoln were waiting to say their goodbyes. Santana's stomach twisted.

"Ah Roberto," Antony joked as he walked up.

"Antony!"

"Thanks so much for everything," Antony smiled. "It's been great having someone to show us around the place."

"Of course! You better keep in touch!" He laughed. "Now that you've got Christine involved you're tied to me forever," he joked.

"Thank God!" Antony played back.

"Not to mention our daughters," he smiled as he nodded at the couple who had a death grip on each other. Antony smiled as he reached his hand out to Robert. The man shook it firmly and then quickly pulled him in for a big hug. The two laughed as they pulled away.

"Samantha," he smiled politely. "Thanks again," he said as he pulled her in for a hug.

"Thanks for taking care of Christine," she whispered before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"My pleasure," he smiled. As they pulled away he kept his arms on hers. "Hang in there, okay?" He whispered. She gave him a soft smile with a strong nod.

"Bye-bye Antony," Lincoln said as the two fist-bumped.

"Cya little man!"

"Santana," Robert smiled as he approached the girl. "It's been great getting to know you."

"You too, Mr. Pierce."

"Thanks for keeping this one out of trouble," he smiled. "I'm sure we'll be seeing plenty more of you." He opened his arms for Santana to step into. As he pulled her closer, he whispered, barely audibly, "Thank you." Santana wasn't completely sure what he meant but she smiled and nodded.

"San," Samantha smiled as she opened her arms. She stepped closer to Santana and pulled her in, her hands rubbing up and down Santana's back a few times. While hugging, the woman began speaking.

"Thank you so much, sweetheart. I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather have make my daughter this happy."

"Thank you so much," Santana breathed.

"Another secret: I hope she ends up in Ohio. This way I know someone'll be looking out for her."

"Always," Santana promised.

"I'll miss you," Samantha smiled as she gave Santana a kiss on the cheek.

"You too. Stay strong," she said weakly, unsure of what she _should_ say. Santana was beginning to feel drained and she had yet to say her hardest goodbye. As she pulled away, she saw Lincoln pouting on top of the couch. She took a step toward him and he stood up.

"Bye bye 'tana," he said quietly.

"Hey, I'll see you soon," she promised.

"Yeah?" He asked hopeful.

"Mhm," grinned. The boy jumped onto Santana, his arms gripping around her neck. Santana giggled as she hugged his tiny body back.

"I'm gonna miss you," she told him.

"Me too,"

"Okay, come on Lincoln," Mr. Pierce laughed as physically pulled Lincoln off of Santana. "We gotta give them a minute. Goodbye Lopez's!" He called out with a wave as he adjusted Lincoln on his hip.

"Bye!" They replied with sad smiles. Everyone waved as the Pierces, minus Brittany, disappeared.

"We'll go work on getting a car," Antony breathed.

"Do you mind if we, um, go somewhere for a minute to say goodbye?" Santana asked.

"Of course not," Antony smiled. "We've only got about," he paused to check his watch. "ten minutes."

"Sounds good," Santana breathed.

"Where do you wanna go?" Brittany asked.

"I thought we'd say one last goodbye to the lookout."

"Perfect," Brittany smiled. It only seemed right, since three of their major moments- first meeting, the 2 am conversation, and the new years kiss- had taken place there.

As they made their way to the elevator, Quinn and Sam came sprinting around the corner.

"We caught you!" Quinn cried as she threw her arms around Santana. "I thought we missed you guys."

"I still have an hour," Brittany explained when Sam looked at her.

"And you?" Quinn asked, pulling away.

"Ten minutes. We were just headed to say goodbye," she nodded sadly at Brittany.

"Oh," Quinn breathed. "Well I'm glad we caught you. Here," she handed Santana a small piece of paper. Santana gave her a questioning look.

"My number," she said like Santana was incapable of understanding anything.

"Oh," Santana smiled as she tucked it into her pocket. "Thanks, but I'm already taken," Santana joked.

"Shut up," Quinn rolled her eyes. "Don't be a stranger," she said as she pulled Santana into one last hug.

"I won't," Santana promised. Quinn gave Brittany a quick hug as Sam approached Santana.

"I know this could be a bit, um, awkward?" He searched for the word as he rubbed the back of his neck. "But I just wanted to say thanks for making her so happy." He was whispering, maybe so Quinn and Brittany didn't hear, but he was extremely sincere. Santana was confused as to why she was getting so many thanks but she knew all of her family would be thanking Brittany like this too.

"Thanks for being so cool about everything," Santana smiled. They stood there awkwardly for a moment longer before Santana opened her arms with a laugh. Sam joined in and hugged the small girl.

"Take care of her," he whispered. "I'll see you later?" He said to Brit as they pulled apart.

"See you two," Quinn smiled as Sam took her by the hand and they disappeared.

"He's a cool dude," Santana told Brittany.

"Yeah," she agreed. "Come on," Brittany pulled her onto the elevator and within a minute they were up in the lookout. Instead of sitting in their usual spot, Brittany led Santana by the hand to the back corner, a place with a tiny set of stairs that led to a small porch above the rest of the lookout, expanding the view of the mountains.

"This is cool," Santana told her.

"More private," Brittany shrugged. As the silence hit them, they remembered why they were there. Goodbyes.

Brittany took Santana's free hand in hers so both of their hands were locked. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment, neither girl sure what to say.

"This past month has been amazing, Brit," Santana settled for. "Thanks for not making it a total drag," she smiled.

"Hey," Brittany nudged her playfully.

"I'm kidding."

"I know," Brittany smiled. She pulled the girl closer to her, wrapping her arms around the girls neck. Santana wrapped hers around her back, hitting a pouch on her drawstring bag.

"Why are you wearing the bag still?" Santana laughed. She originally thought it was her carry-on bag for the plane, but Brittany wasn't leaving for another hour.

"Oh," she remembered as she pulled the bag off her back and placed it on the floor. "I have something for you." Brittany leaned down and unzipped the bag, pulling out a rectangular DVD-sized item wrapped in brown paper and handed it to Santana. As she started to unwrap it Brittany reached out and grabbed her wrists.

"No!" Brittany cried. Santana looked up, startled. "Wait," she breathed. "Wait until you're gone." The word hit both girl's harder than Brittany had meant it to. "I mean, just not in front of me. On the plane or something."

"You sure?" Santana asked.

"Please," Brittany pleaded, swallowing hard. Santana leaned in and pressed a kiss on Brittany's lips. They lingered longer than usual, both of them breathing in the other girl.

"Thanks, Brit. I'm sure I'll love it." Brittany smiled as they fell back into a long hug. Santana was breathing in Brittany's hair while Brittany was memorizing the indents in Santana's back. It amazed both of them how well their bodies fit together.

"I love you so much," Santana whispered in the girl's ear, her voice a tad shaky.

"I love you too," Brittany smiled as she pulled away slightly to give the girl a kiss. "San," She sighed as she noticed a tear sliding down the girl's cheek. The pad of her thumb immediately wiped away the saltwater. Santana laughed lightly as she shook her head.

"I don't know why I'm crying," she breathed honestly. "I- I know it's not forever. I just- it sucks." The water was already welling up behind Brittany's eyes but seeing Santana like this pushed her over the edge.

"I know," Brittany agreed, a single tear falling from her left eye.

"I'm pathetic," Santana rolled her eyes.

"No, you're just whipped," Brittany teased. Santana laughed as her chest shook.

"Damn right." Santana took her turn to wipe one of Brittany's tears away. Both girls were smiling even though their vision was fogging. Santana's thumb lingered on Brittany's cheek as she slowly leaned in as she licked her lips once over. As soon as Brittany's lips hit hers, another tear fell as she wondered when they'd be able to kiss like this again. They kissed slowly, their lips extra soft and gentle. They savored every movement, every taste, every touch. Everything around them froze. As their lips broke, they kept their foreheads touching.

"We probably should-"

"Yeah," Brittany agreed. Before they locked hands, they took turns wiping each other's faces dry. They were laughing now, making everything slightly more bearable.

"Come on," Brittany sighed as she intertwined her fingers with Santana's. They walked down in mostly silence, their arms tangled and bodies close.

"There you are," Antony smiled as best he could when he spotted the girl's. Santana wasn't surprised to see Christine's eyes slightly red, but to see her father's slightly bloodshot and irritated was a little shocking.

"Here we are," Santana replied back unenthusiastically. Antony sighed as he took a step towards Brittany.

"I guess this is goodbye for now," he smiled sweetly. Brittany nodded as she bit down on her lip. "It takes a special kind of person to deal with this one," he joked as he nodded towards Santana. Brittany giggled lightly. "Thanks for making her love this place so much. I know it wasn't my doing," he laughed. He pulled Brittany in for a hug and the girl clung to him, taking comfort in someone bigger than her.

"You're an amazing girl, Brittany," he told her. "Couldn't be happier for you two."

"Thanks Mr. Lopez," Brittany smiled as she pulled away. And thanks for being so cool to Christine." Mr. Lopez chuckled.

"Anytime."

"Thanks for making him live again," Santana laughed to Christine. The woman laughed as she looked over at Brittany and Antony hugging.

"Thanks for making her so happy," Christine played back.

"I guess we're both pretty awesome," Santana shrugged as Christine pulled her into a hug, both of them laughing.

"See you soon," Santana promised

As Antony and Christine stepped towards the car to say one last goodbye, Brittany turned to Santana as she tried to fight back her tears.

"So," Santana said as smoothly as she could, "can I at least get your number or something?" Brittany couldn't stop herself from laughing.

"It's in there," Brittany pointed down towards Santana's wrapped gift. "I got you," she smirked.

Santana's laughter subsided as her arms wrapped around Brittany's neck. She let her lips softly press against the girl's neck before she pulled back to look into Brittany's blue eyes.

"Not goodbye," she said.

"Not goodbye," Brittany repeated.

"I love you, Brit."

"I love you," Brittany said back. They kissed again, this time even gentler than before, their lips hardly moving. "Text me when you land?" Brittany asked. Santana nodded with a small smile. "I'll call you when I get it." They hugged again, tighter than before, before giving each other one last, tiny peck.

Santana slowly walked away, her hand slipping out of Brittany's. Within seconds, Christine had her arm wrapped around Brittany.

"This sucks," Brittany shook as the rental car's door closed. Behind the tinted window, Santana and Antony were waving.

"I know," Christine sighed heavily, her arm rubbing up and down Brittany's shoulder. Brittany's head fell on Christine's shoulder as they watched the car drive away, a part of each of them breaking.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"Maybe you should take a nap," Antony said as Santana stared out the window, her hands fiddling with the paper wrapped around Brittany's gift.

"I'm not tired," Santana mumbled. Truth was she was exhausted. Still, she was too miserable to sleep.

"Are you gonna open that or are you gonna play with the paper for the rest of the flight?" Santana shot her father a glare. "Honey, this sucks for me too."

"I know," she sighed.

"So why haven't you opened it?" He asked. "I won't look at it if you don't want."

"No," she shook her head. "It's not that." Antony waited a moment before asking again.

"So then what is it?" Santana stayed quiet for a little.

"I- it's stupid." Antony gave her an encouraging look. "It's the last thing I have from her that's- I don't know how to explain it. It's something _real_ from her. It's not a phone call or a video chat. She handed it to me. I can only open it once."

"But you'll have it forever."

"I know," she sighed. "I- I'll open it soon."

About thirty minutes later, Antony was out cold and Santana was sipping on his complimentary bloody mary. The paper in her hands was worn out from her toying with it, so she finally decided to take it off. Her heart stopped as her eyes landed on the picture of Santana and Brittany on New Years Eve looking absolutely stunning. Her finger skimmed over the silver frame with a _Blue Creek Lodge_ inscription just below the photo.

"Brit," she whispered with a smile. Two minutes later, after Santana's eyes were weary from staring at the photo for so long, she realized Brittany's number wasn't there. She quickly picked up the wrapping and searched all over for any hint of writing. Nothing. She flipped the frame over and scanned every inch of it searching for numbers. She wanted to cry. It's not that she would _never_ get Brittany's number. As soon as she got home she could Facebook the girl and they'd be in contact as soon as Brittany got home. Still, Santana was dying to text her. To put her number in her phone. Add her to her favorites.

Just as she was about to give up, she noticed the back cover was sticking out slightly. She quickly slid the little hook keeping it attached and pulled off the back. A stack full of pictures fell into her hand. She flipped through them, her grin impossibly wide. The girls on the snowmobile, the girls in front of the Christmas tree, the girls holding Lincoln outside of dinner. Selfies of the two kissing, ones of Santana kissing Brittany's cheek and ones of Brittany returning the favor. Pictures of them laying in bed cuddling. Brittany even added photos she'd taken of the lodge and all the places they'd been. The last photo Santana picked up wasn't a photo at all. She flipped it over and realized it was a folded piece of paper. As soon as she saw Brittany's blue writing her eyes started stinging.

_Hey Santana,_

_I'm not nearly as good with my words as you are, but I thought I'd try this out. I'm sorry if I was kind of quiet during our goodbye. That's why I decided to write this. I knew I'd get too chocked up if I tried to say how I was feeling, and I didn't want you to have to deal with me sobbing while we were trying to say goodbye. I wanted to leave you in a happier way. At least I tried. I hope I did._

_Anyway, I guess I wanted to write this to thank you for showing me what love was about. I know this whole relationship thing was new for you in some ways too, but you've been nothing but amazing. I want you to know that. You've been the best girlfriend you could be. I'd never been with a girl like this but it didn't matter. You made everything feel like it was exactly how it was supposed to be. Like everything I'd known before was wrong. I love the way you make me feel. When you kiss me I swear my stomach is like a friggin butterfly farm. Every single time. I can't be sad around you. It's impossible. It's like your a happy drug or something. And you're the most beautiful girl in the world. On the inside too. I know you don't believe that and it makes me sad. Because you are. You're so beautiful. Nobody's ever cared about me the way you have. You make me feel loved every second I'm with you. I honestly don't know how I would be getting through this whole thing with my Mom if you weren't by my side. I can't imagine my life without you and I hope I'll never have to._

_Sometimes people fall in love but eventually it wears off. Something happens and they get tired of the other person. But I could never get tired of you. You know why? Because you're my best friend, too. You're not just my girlfriend but you're my best friend. You've supported me and encouraged me in every way a best friend should. I've never even had a friend like you. I could hang out with you all day and do absolutely nothing and it could still feel like the best day ever. You're more fun than an amusement park and you don't even have to try. _

_Santana, thank you for being my everything. You're perfectly flawed and I love every single thing about you. Where ever I end up for school, I know we'll make it work because it'd be stupid to give up something this great. _

_I love you so much, Santana. To the moon and back. _

_Love,_

_Brittany_

Underneath her signature Brittany had kissed the page with pink lipstick. Right under the bottom lip was Brittany's cell phone number with a little _call me ;) xoxo_.

She giggled as her eyes scanned further down the page.

_P.S. I hope the plane ride doesn't suck too much. And I hope you're not crying to much either. I'm crying a lot right now and I'm sure I'll be crying on my flight home, too. Also my letter wasn't half as good as yours but I tried! I hope you're even reading this, also. I didn't really know where to put the letter. _

Santana laughed through her tears as she started from the beginning again.

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

"So her gift made you feel better then?" Antony asked as he flipped the burgers. Santana had been in a much better mood since he woke up and she hadn't stopped gripping the picture frame since she'd opened it.

"A little," she shrugged as she sipped her water. Honestly, she was just waiting for their dinner to be ready so she could go to lay down. Traveling always took a lot out of her. She'd been home for a few minutes now and she still hadn't heard from Brittany. She turned her phone on the second she landed, ignored the countless texts from Lizzie and her other friends from school, and typed in Brittany's number.

_Hey babe, guess who? ;) Just landed. Loved the letter _

"Have you heard from Brittany yet?" Antony asked. He had been checking his phone for any word from Christine since they got home too.

"No. They should be just landing," Santana said as she checked the clock. Antony nodded and continued cooking their dinner.

Santana's phone vibrated and her heart stopped. Once she saw Lizzie's name pop up, she felt momentarily guilty for the sinking feeling it gave her stomach.

_I know you're fucking home, you can't hide anymore! What happened with your girl?_

Santana smirked to herself

_Missed you too. Lots to tell. Exhausted from flying, wanna meet up tomorrow?_

Just as Santana sent the message, Antony's phone rang.

"They landed!" Santana sang as she clutched her phone. She was a little disappointed that Brittany hadn't reached out to her first, but she was also glad they made it home safely.

"Hey," Antony smiled as he answered the phone. Santana rolled her eyes at his lovey-tone. She stared down at her phone waiting for Brittany's call. After a minute, the vibration made her jump, but it was only Lizzie again.

_For sure. I'll pick you up at 12?_

Santana quickly typed back _Sounds good_

Minutes felt like hours as Antony finished his check-in call with Christine, finished the burgers, and Santana still hadn't heard from Brittany.

"What is she doing," she whispered to herself.

"Here you go," Antony said as she placed the plate down in front of Santana.

"Thanks," she murmured as she took a big bite.

"They're just getting of the plane and heading to the gate," Antony explained.

"Cool," she said halfheartedly. Just as her father was about to ask what was wrong, the girl's phone vibrated against the table.

_Brittany_ flashed across her screen.

"Brit!" She practically yelped as she picked up the phone, Antony giggling at his daughter's change in mood.

"Santana! I-"

"I miss you," Santana cut her off.

"Santana, listen! I did it! I got in!" She was screaming, either to drown out the background noise of the airport or because she was genuinely excited.

"What?" Santana asked.

"When we landed my Mom turned on her phone and she had a voicemail and I got in! They had an opening! I'm in the dance program!"

"Brit," Santana breathed, not completely sure if what she was believing was right.

"I'm going to Ohio State!" Brittany cried through the phone.

"What!" Santana screamed as she hopped onto her feet.

"I'm going to Ohio State!" She repeated.

"When?! What? When?!"

"I can start this semester! All my credits transfer! I can start after break!"

"Babe! That's incredible!" Santana squealed as she started pacing.

"What happened?" Antony cut her off as he stood up to mirror the girl. Santana momentarily dropped the phone from her ear to tell Antony.

"Brittany got into Ohio State!" She said, tears welling up in her eyes, her hands shaking. She threw herself around Antony as he hugged her tightly, desperately wishing he was Brittany.

"Congrats Brittany!" He called through the phone, reminding Santana the girl was on the other end.

"Brit, I'm so so proud of you."

"I can't believe this," she shook her head.

"Are you- are you sure this is what you want?" Santana asked cautiously.

"Never been more sure in my life," Brittany promised cheerfully. "San, we're only going to be an hour away! That's nothing!"

"I know," Santana smiled. "I- I can't believe this."

"I can't breath," Brittany laughed. Santana joined in because she could actually hear the girl hyperventilating on the other end. "Okay, okay," Brittany came through muffled on the other end. She was talking to her Mom.

"San, I gotta go. We gotta grab our luggage and my Mom wants to have a celebratory dinner. I'll text you?"

"Sounds good. I'm so proud of you, Brit."

"Thanks. I love you. Miss you already," she said with a little more somberness than before.

"You too. I love you too."

As the line went dead, Antony smirked at his daughter.

"What?" Santana asked.

"Nothing," he scoffed. "You just, you couldn't write this shit."

"Seriously," she laughed.

"We've gone soft. Who knew Blue Creek Lodge would bring us our own little fairytales?"

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

**The End**

**Hello everyone! Unfortunately this is the last chapter. There will be an epilogue out soon so stay tuned for that! **

**Thank you all so so much for all the reviews/messages/support while I was writing this. It's been overwhelming! Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed it!**

**For everyone wondering about a sequel: I've been thinking about it for sure! If there is one it wouldn't start until at least this summer.**

**I had a few requests to make a playlist of music featured in the fic along with songs that I thought fit the storyline. I made a playlist filled with all different types of songs that had lyrics that really fit the story. You can listen to the songs there and I think download them too!**

**The website is box.c o m and you add /s/xmzqcz5056wa9digflb6 to the ending.**

**If you have trouble accessing it I'll put the direct link on my tumblr (slave4hemo)**

**Thank you again for all the love! Love you all! xx**


	28. Epilogue

"Pass me that sweater," Santana pointed to the cream colored item folded on her bed. Lizzie leaned over and tossed it not so gently at Santana. "Real nice," Santana playfully rolled her eyes.

"I can't believe you're leaving me again," Lizzie ignored the girl. "What the fuck am I supposed to do for an entire fucking month?"

"Same thing you did last year." Lizzie sighed as she dramatically flopped back down onto the bed. "Don't try to make me feel bad, I invited you to come." Lizzie popped right back up.

"You _know_ Dale goes on break soon."

"Not my fault. Plus, don't act like you're not gonna be _boning_ him the entire break." Santana shrugged with a smirk. "Toss me those jeans."

"_Toss me those jeans," _Lizzie muttered under her breath, chuckle.

"Santana!" Antony screamed from downstairs.

"Ugh," Santana rolled her eyes, already knowing what her father wanted.

"Santana! Please!"

"I'm _coming_!" She shouted with attitude. "Be right back," she sighed to her best friend.

As Santana headed downstairs, Lizzie laid back down on her comforter. She closed her eyes, tired from the drive home.

"Tired?" A soft voice jolted her back awake only a few minutes later.

"Oh," Lizzie laughed lightly when the blonde hair sauntered into the room. "I thought it was San. You're happiness startled me," she laughed making Brittany giggle slightly. "And yeah, _somebody_ made me drive home so her and her girlfriend could cuddle in the backseat."

"I'm sorry," Brittany apologized sincerely, her eyes falling. "I-"

"I'm messing, Brit," Lizzie laughed. "I know it wasn't your idea. She was just happy to see you, couldn't blame her." With both the girl's having midterms they hadn't seen each other in almost three weeks. It was the first time since last year they'd let three weeks go by without spending the weekend together. They figured their month break together would make up for it.

"You want some help?" Lizzie offered as she sat up and crossed her legs on the bed.

"Oh, you don't have to," Brittany sat down beside her placing the laundry basket down. Lizzie just shrugged and started to help Brittany with folding her wash. Santana told Brittany to hold off on paying for the washing machines at school so she could wash everything for free at Santana's.

"Santana tells me dance is going really well?" Brittany nodded with a smile. "I gotta see you live," Lizzie smiled referring to the many videos Santana had shown her.

"We have this benefit show the month after we get back," Brittany told her. "I'm a featured soloist and in some group things. I'm sure Santana's gonna come, I'd love it if you came with her."

"Wanky," Lizzie said in her best Santana voice, making both girls laugh while Brittany playfully hit the girl's arm.

"Seriously though," Brittany smiled.

"I'll be there."

"You know, I'd love for you to visit with Santana too." Lizzie and Santana were rooming together this year, so Brittany got to know Lizzie pretty well whenever she got to visit. Santana was the one with the car though, and since Brittany usually had dance on the weekends, Santana was visiting Brittany more often than the other way around. Brittany still managed to catch a bus to Kenyon every couple weekends, but Santana couldn't go without seeing the girl almost every weekend. Brittany wasn't complaining one bit, but she always felt a little bad that Santana left Lizzie alone most weekends.

"Thanks," Lizzie laughed. "I don't think Santana would appreciate me cutting in on her _Brit-Brit_ time, though. Plus, I don't mind having the place to myself every once in awhile," she smiled. Santana actually invited Lizzie every time she's gone to visit Brittany, but Lizzie knows how much the time they spend together means to her friend. Plus, they always include her when Brittany is in town. "It also leaves some weekends open for Dale to visit," Lizzie smiled.

"I don't know how you do it," Brittany shook her head. Dale went to school on the other side of the country, meaning he had to fly in whenever he visited, making their little visits quite expensive. Watching Lizzie and Dale's relationship was really inspiring to Brittany. It made her feel kind of bad for missing Santana so damn much when they didn't see each other _every _weekend.

"Makes the time with him that much better," Lizzie shrugged. "I'm sure you've realized that by now though," she laughed lightly. Brittany nodded with a smile.

"I wish you were coming with us," Brittany admitted. "The lodge is _incredible_."

"Me too," Lizzie laughed. "From what I've seen the place has got to be the source of wizardry or some shit." Brittany laughed but cocked an eyebrow at the girl as she folded one of her crew neck sweatshirts.

"Please," Lizzie started. "First Antony _finally_ finds a girl and then San _actually_ falls for someone _and _lets them in. _And _both of those girls are freaking beautiful blonde angels. Fucking magic." Brittany giggled while she tried to ignore the girl's compliment. Anytime Brittany was around, Lizzie always made some comment about how she was some godsend to Santana.

"Does Dale get home soon?" Brittany asked once her laughter subsided.

"Mhm, next week."

"How long has it been for you guys? Like five years?"

"Basically," Lizzie rolled her eyes. "What about you two," Lizzie nudged her playfully. "Big one year coming up. Celebrating in the same place, how _romantic!_"

Brittany quickly craned her neck to peek out the door. Once she decided the coast was clear, she began whispering.

"Can I show you something?" Lizzie nodded curiously. Brittany quickly pulled out a skinny rectangular box from her back pocket. She slowly opened it and held it out to Lizzie.

"Holy shit," the brunette breathed. Inside the box was a beautiful silver chain attached to a breathtaking heart charm. The chain hooked through the top right corner of the heart, making the charm hang on a slant. The heart was slightly bigger on the right side where it hung from, giving the heart a funky yet pretty shape. The whole surface was covered with crushed diamonds. Right below where the chain hung connected was a tiny opening carved in the shape of an even tinier heart.

"Brit," she breathed. "It's stunning."

"You think she'll like it?" She asked nervously.

"Are you kidding? It's _so_ Santana. Jesus, how many paychecks did you waste on that girl," she laughed not seriously looking for an answer.

"I just had to make sure I could keep up with whatever she's got up her sleeve," Brittany confessed.

"Santana?" Lizzie checked.

"Yeah...?" Brittany confirmed with slight confusion.

"Sorry, I'm just still not used to her being such a romantic," she smirked as she exaggerated the word _romantic_. "You've been so good for her," Lizzie said more seriously as she gently wrapped her arm around the blonde.

"Thanks, Liz," she smiled as she carefully wrapped the necklace back up, trying to keep her cheeks from burning _too_ much.

"Ugh!" They heard Santana coming from down the hall. They could practically see her rolling her eyes through the wall. "You'd _think_ a grown ass man would know how to pack himself-" she stopped mid sentence when she saw her blonde girlfriend sitting on her bed. "Oh, hi Brit," her smiled, her tone immediately softening. "You finish your wash already?" She asked as she walked to plant a kiss on the blonde's lips. Brittany softly reciprocated as Santana began lowering herself onto the blonde.

"You've _got_ to be fucking kidding me," Lizzie chuckled to herself.

"Babe," Brittany smiled into Santana's lips, remembering their company.

"She's fine," Santana rolled her eyes as she leaned off the girl a little. "It's not like I didn't have to watch her and Dale do this _all _of high school."

"Shut up," Lizzie playfully hit the girl, momentarily catching her off balance. Brittany grabbed her waist to steady her out. "Plus, I've never been this love sick. You're tone does a complete 180 whenever you see her." Brittany had noticed pretty quickly that Santana was different with her. But she certainty wasn't the bitch she claimed to be. She was just much sassier and sarcastic with most people. Brittany thought it was super cute. And everyone she'd met at Kenyon seemed to be a big fan of Santana, proving what Brittany assumed all along to be true: the girl was a sweetheart whether she wanted to admit it or not.

"Sorry _somebody_ finally doesn't make me wanna punch myself every second of the day."

"That's depressing," Lizzie joked back.

"Plus," Santana smiled as she looked at Brit. "Can you blame me?"

"No," Lizzie said honestly. No matter what Santana told her about the blonde, nothing could prepare her for how genuinely _good_ a person the blonde was. She literally made everyone smile just from her presence. Nothing made Lizzie happier than seeing someone so amazing come into Santana's life.

"Is this all you're packing?" Santana asked as she picked up one of the last shirts in Brittany's basket.

"No," Brittany shook her head. "My Mom's got the rest with her. She's gonna check my suitcase with the rest of the family's. I just got off the phone telling her what I wanted. We'll see if she listened," the blonde laughed. Santana missed seeing her laugh.

"How's your Mom doing?" Lizzie asked softly. "San told me everything was going well?"

"Mhm," Brittany smiled, her heart finally feeling light again. "She actually just told me she's got a whole inch of hair now. Last time I saw her it was all peach fuzz," she laughed lightly. "We've gotten her lots of great wigs though. She doesn't love wearing them, but I think she might as well have some fun with the sucky situation."

"That's awesome," Lizzie smiled as Santana's hand rubbed up and down Brittany's back.

It turned out Brittany's Mom had a rare bone marrow type that didn't match anyone in her families. As soon as Santana heard, she immediately donated her bone marrow in hopes to help. Unfortunately, after going through the excruciating procedure she wasn't a match either, but she ended up having a not so common type as well. She urged Antony and her Mother to try and by chance Antony was a perfect match. After the transplant went flawlessly, they were able to start chemo, ultimately working towards making Samantha cancer free.

"Who knows what would've happened without San's help," Brittany sighed as she planted a soft kiss to the girl's temple. Santana turned to face Brittany as she grabbed the girl's chin with her hand, pulling her in for a short but gentle kiss.

"I gotta finish packing," she smiled before returning to the floor.

"So can Antony really not pack for himself?" Lizzie asked as she sprawled herself onto her stomach.

"Seriously," Santana rolled her eyes.

"Christine couldn't help him?"

"She's out working or something," she shrugged.

"I can't wait to see her!" Brittany did a tiny dance making both the girls laugh. While Christine stayed in Michigan to support Samantha, Antony ended up spending almost a full month there after his bone marrow donation. Once the chemo was over, though, Samantha finally convinced Christine to leave. Nothing, besides Samantha, was keeping her in Michigan. Her job could easily be transferred to an Ohio office and Antony had been practically begging her to move in a month after they got back from Blue Creek Lodge. He even offered to move there to be with her since Santana was in college and all, but she didn't feel right uprooting him from his life.

"I can't believe she moved here," Brittany smiled in disbelief.

"I'm pretty sure he's got something up his sleeve," Santana mumbled to herself.

"Hm?" Brittany eyed the girl. Santana quickly looked out her bedroom door to make sure Antony wasn't around.

"He said he has to _talk_ to me about something important," she rolled her eyes. "I- I'm pretty sure he's going to propose!" She whisper yelled with a smile.

"What?!" Brittany and Lizzie both spit out not so quietly.

"Shh!" Santana hushed. "I mean- he didn't say anything yet but it makes sense! They're totally in love-"

"Totally," Brittany agreed with a nod.

"And if he's gonna do it I know he'd definitely be into doing it where they met. I doubt he wants to wait_ another _year." Brittany squealed and hugged Santana out of excitement. Santana's heart was already accelerated from the thought of Antony being so happy, but Brittany's warmth only sped it up more. Santana loved Christine, she'd been nothing but sweet to Santana and her father, and she made Antony one happy man.

"Go Antony!" Lizzie sang. "Geez, fucking Blue Creek Lodge. He's gonna come back all wifed up!" Suddenly Lizzie's face got a little more serious and she eyed the two girls. "You two better not come back wifed up. I mean, I better be there when that shit goes down!"

"Shut up," Santana rolled her eyes as Brittany giggled, her arms still wrapped around Santana's neck.

"Brittany?!" Christine's distinct voice boomed through the house from downstairs. Within a split second the blonde was sprinting out of the room. Santana and Lizzie giggled as they watched her disappear. Santana had seen Christine and Antony when they visited for lunch last weekend but Brittany hadn't seen the woman in months.

"She's so freaking cute," Santana shook her head. Lizzie could only agree. They fell into a comfortable silence as Santana continued folding her clothes into her suitcases.

"You're _still_ wearing those bracelets?" Lizzie laughed as she noticed the girl's faded blue bracelet with _Brittany _on it. Santana shot her a glare. "I mean, don't you think it's time for an upgrade or something? It's cute and all but-"

"It was all I could afford last year. I didn't _plan_ on falling in love."

"So you've had time to _prepare _this year," Lizzie raised her eyebrows with a smile. Santana sighed in defeat.

"You could say there's an upgrade coming," she admitted.

"Good girl," Lizzie scrunched her nose up cutely.

Suddenly, the girls heard some commotion downstairs.

"Santana!" Mr. Lopez called from downstairs.

"Be right there!" Santana said with a raised eyebrow. "Help me zip this?" She asked Lizzie. The girl nodded, jumped off the bed, and sat herself down on the suitcase. Santana sent her a glare.

"Watch," she shrugged. "So much easier to zip now." Santana rolled her eyes but the girl was right, the suitcase zipped right up.

"Thanks," Santana muttered when Lizzie smirked at her. "Let's go."

As soon as they made it into the kitchen where the noise was coming from, Santana stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes fell on Brittany who was hugging a smaller woman with dark hair. Definitely not Christine...

"Mom!" Santana squealed as the two pulled apart. Her Mom opened her arms as Santana ran into them. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to say goodbye before you leave me _again_ for another month." Santana gave her a tiny pout. Technically, it was her Mom's year to celebrate the holidays with. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding San," she said as she took the tan girl's face in between her hands. "I told you, you're a big girl now," she laughed. Santana had told her mother multiple times she'd gladly stay home to be with her this year. However, they both knew that wasn't what she wanted. Santana's Mom pulled her daughter in for a tight hug and began whispering. "It's where you belong," she told the girl. "Go spend time with your girlfriend. I'll be here when you get back."

"Thanks Mom," Santana breathed with a smile. She pulled away with a smile.

"You girls have fun, okay? But not too much," she eyed them. She turned over to Santana with warning eyes. "I told Brit to look out for you, so don't do anything _too_ dumb."

"Yes Mom," Santana rolled her eyes.

"Lizzie!" she called out. "I didn't even see you there, get over here!" She pulled the girl into a hug.

"I'm gonna go get Christine's suitcase," Antony dismissed himself.

Santana walked over to Brittany and pulled her into her arms.

"Finally," Santana sighed.

"We're going home!" Brittany joked in a silly voice.

"I missed you," Santana laughed lightly.

"Missed you more," Brittany kissed the top of her head.

"We're decorating our room again this year, right?" Santana asked softly. "You brought the lights?" Brittany giggled.

"Yes you little Christmas elf," she tapped her nose with her finger. "Now that you aren't all anti-Christmas this year we can _really_ do it right."

"Wanky," Santana flirted.

"San," Brittany gasped slightly. "But that too," she flirted back.

"Alright," Antony called. "Girls, go get your stuff. Time to say your goodbyes."

"Ugh," Lizzie groaned.

Santana and Brittany quickly ran upstairs to grab their bags as Antony began loading everything into the car.

"Have some fun," Lizzie said as she pulled Brittany into a tight hug. "You deserve it. You know, for everything this year," she said hinting at her Mom. "Plus, putting up with Santana all this time can't be easy."

"Thanks, Liz," she laughed. "Have a good Christmas. I'll make sure to sneak San into the computer room more often," she smiled.

"Thanks," she smiled in appreciation.

"And tell Dale I said hi."

"Will do. And you," she smiled to Santana. "If you were leaving me for _anybody _else, I'd be pissed," she hugged the girl with a laugh. "You're lucky your girlfriend is a fucking angel," she said again.

"Yeah, yeah," she sighed, tightening the hug. "I'll miss you," she whispered.

"Softie," Lizzie teased. "I'll miss you too," she admitted back. "Don't have _too _much fun," she teased.

"You too," she smirked thinking about Dale.

"Take care of her," she told Brittany who smiled at her friend just before Santana's Mom pulled Brittany into a hug. Right after they got home, Santana's Mom was more than thrilled to learn she'd finally met a girl. She obviously demanded on meeting the girl she'd heard so many wonderful things about. They arranged a lunch and the two hit it off right away. Honestly, Santana felt like she wasn't even there. The two chatted like old friends right off the bat.

"Happy Holidays, Brittany," she smiled. "Have a great time. And thanks again," she smiled softly. "You know, for lightening this one up a little," she teased as she grabbed Santana's shoulder.

"San," she pulled her into a hug. "Have some fun. Relax."

"You too," Santana told the girl.

"I'll miss you. You owe me a girls night when we get back."

"Deal," she smiled. "Thanks for letting me go," she said softly.

"Thanks for _going_," her mom smiled. She hated when Santana didn't do things for herself. "Your father has my gifts for you two," she smiled at the girls. "Don't open untilChristmas, you hear me!"

"Yes Mom," she laughed.

"Good. Now get outta here," she slapped her daughter on the butt. "Love you both!"

"Love you too!" They both replied as they gave one last wave to both girls and helped Antony lift the last bag into the car. Christine and Antony said their goodbyes as Santana and Brittany hopped in the back seat. Right after Santana closed the door behind them her lips crashed into Brittany's, leaving her momentarily breathless.

"Even after almost a year," Brittany laughed lightly as she caught her breath, "you still have the same effect on me." Santana gave the girl another kiss, her lips tingling.

"I'm so excited," Santana smiled.

"Me too," Brittany kissed her again.

"Did you ever find out if Sam was making it?"

"His parents finally agreed to let him go for three weeks to see Quinn since it was so hard to make time during school. His family's only coming for Christmas week."

"Nice. I'm so excited to see Quinn," she smiled. Quinn had become a pretty close friend. They'd Skyped every week since they got back. It was nice having a friend besides Lizzie and Brittany she could talk to.

"Me too," Brittany smiled, excitement filling both of them.

"You know what I'm more excited for?" Santana asked seductively, her nose rushing against Brittany's.

"Hm?" Brittany asked. Santana paused for a moment. She'd almost forgotten how breathtaking the blonde's eyes were.

"Being with you all the time. Waking up to you every morning." Brittany's lips took Santana's lower one in between her two as Santana's hands found the girl's face. She deepened the kiss as she started leaning further into Brittany.

"Okay love birds," Antony smirked as he shut his car door, startling both the girls out of the kiss. "There'll be _plenty_ of time for that once we get there," he rolled his eyes.

Brittany giggled as Santana leaned her head down on the girl's shoulder. Brittany took Santana's hand in hers.

"Blue Creek Lodge- Round two," Antony announced as he started the car. Brittany leaned down to kiss the top of Santana's head.

"Love you," Santana whispered up at the blonde, the words still making her stomach flutter.

"I love you too."

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

**Hey! Thank you so so much again for reading and reviewing and messaging me. It's been great to hear from you all!**

**Sorry if this epilogue wasn't exactly what you were looking for- it was hard to write since the possibility of a sequel is still out there and I didn't want to go too far ahead or take _everything_ away from future/possible storylines.**

**Anyway, hope this satisfied you a little bit!**

**Thanks again! You guys are the best! Xx**

**Slaves4hemo**


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